Columbia  (HnitJem'tp 

THE  LIBRARIES 


E^KLY   HISTORY 


OF    THE 


REFORMED  CHURCH 


IN  PENNSYLVANIA. 


BY  DANIEL  MILLER. 


With  Introduction  by 

Prof.  W.  J.  Hinke,  D.  D. 


Reading,  Pa.  : 

DANIEi;  Mli:.LE)A,'  F^UBLISHER, 

123  NoitTii  SixTii  Street. 


J  '    J  J   '  J  » 
,  .*   >  >  > »    * 


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0  (US'C 


COPYRIGHT,  1906, 
BY  DANIEL  MILLER. 


PREFACE. 


To  the  author  of  this  volume  the  early  history  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania  has  been  the 
subject  of  pleasant  study  for  a  long  time.  There  are 
many  facts  connected  with  this  history  which  are  not 
only  intensely  interesting,  but  also  calculated  to  prompt 
us  to  more  fully  appreciate  our  religious  heritage.  The 
history  is  presented  in  plain  language  and  in  a  form 
which  may  be  readily  understood.  It  is  often  said  that 
many  writers  assume  too  much  intelligence  on  the  part 
of  the  average  reader,  and  fail  to  give  all  the  facts  con- 
nected with  a  subject.  We  have  sought  to  present  all 
the  salient  facts  related  to  a  subject,  even  at  the  risk  of 
repeating  some  statements,  so  as  to  make  matters  easily 
understood. 

We  hope  the  reader  will  find  as  much  pleasure  in 
reading  this  book  as  the  author  enjoyed  in  preparing 
it,  although  it  involved  a  vast  deal  of  time  and  research. 
In  the  preparation  of  this  volume  the  author  derived 
much  aid  from  the  recently  published  proceedings  of 
the  Coetus,  and  many  unpublished  reports  and  letters 
bearing  on  the  early  history  of  our  Church.  For  access 
to  the  latter  he  is  indebted  to  Dr.  James  I.  Good.  He 
is  also  under  obligations  to  Prof.  W.  J.  Hinke  for  valu- 
able information  upon  certain  points. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  history  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States  has  long 
been  a  subject  of  study.  As  early  as  the  year  1817  a  committee  was 
appointed  by  Synod  to  prepare  a  historical  sketch  of  the  origin  and  growth 
of  the  Synod.  This  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  William  Hendel,  Rev, 
John  Henry  HofiFmeier  and  Rev.  Caspar  Wack,  Sr.,  examined  the  archives 
of  Synod,  located  in  the  First  Reformed  Church  at  Lancaster,  but  found 
nothing  that  threw  light  upon  the  subject  of  their  search.  Finally  one  of 
the  committee,  no  doubt  Rev.  Dr.  Hendel,  remembered  that  he  had  in  his 
possession  a  booklet  in  the  Dutch  language,  which  turned  out  to  be  the 
diary  of  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter,  printed  at  Amsterdam  in  1751.  On  the 
basis  of  this  report  of  Mr.  Schlatter  a  short  sketch  of  six  and  a  half  pages 
was  prepared,  of  which  3000  copies  were  printed. 

After  this  first  attempt  of  writing  the  history  of  our  Church,  it  is 
interesting  to  note  that  the  first  larger  book,  dealing  with  the  history  of 
our  Church,  was  published  in  Germany  in  1846,  being  written  by  the 
first  professor  of  theology  elected  by  the  Ohio  Synod  in  18.38,  Rev.  I.  G. 
Buettner,  D.  D.,  who  returned  to  Germany  in  1841.  It  is  a  volume  of 
154  pages,  entitled  "The  High  German  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  North  America  from  its  First  Founding  to  the  Present  Time." 
Schleiz,  1846. 

A  more  extensive  history  of  the  early  period,  written  about  the  same 
time  by  Rev.  Dr.  Lewis  Mayer,  was  unfortunately  never  published. 

Renewed  impetus  was  given  to  historical  studies  by  the  works  of  Dr. 
Harbaugh,  especially  his  "Life  of  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter"  and  "The 
Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church."  But  it  was  not  till  1885  that  our 
Church  had  the  first  connected  account  of  its  history.  In  that  year  Rev. 
Dr.  Joseph  H.  Dubbs  published  his  excellent  "  Historical  Manual  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,"  in  which  he  summarized  all  that 
was  then  known  of  the  history  of  our  Church. 

Twelve  years  later  another  advance  was  made  by  the  important  dis- 
covery of  the  documents,  relating  to  our  Church,  in  Holland,  which  modi- 
fied to  a  large  extent  our  knowledge  of  the  earliest  period  of  our  history 
and  compelled  us  to  reconstruct  certain  parts  altogether.  This  recon- 
struction was  largely  carried  out  by  Rev.  Dr.  J.  I.  Good,  through  whose 
energy  and  zeal  the  Holland  documents  had  been  made  accessible.  In 
1897  Dr.  Good  published  "  Early  Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church"  and 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

"  Historical  Handbook  of  the  Reformed  Church,"  which  were  followed 
two  years  later  by  his  still  more  important  work  "  History  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States,  1725-1792." 

Other  historians  have  since  followed  in  the  new  avenues  opened  by  the 
recent  discoveries,  and  have  completed  and  elaborated  our  history  through 
numerous  monographs  or  comprehensive  representations,  like  Rev,  Dr. 
Dubbs*  attractive  and  delightful  book  "The  Reformed  Church  in  Penn- 
sylvania," Lancaster,  1902. 

But  the  new  documents  have  by  no  means  been  exhausted,  nor  is  the 
knowledge  of  our  local  history  complete.  The  present  volume  proves  the 
former  and  adds  considerably  to  the  latter.  The  author  is  peculiarly  fitted 
to  engage  in  historical  work.  For  twenty-five  years  his  press  has  been 
sending  out  books  dealing  with  Reformed  Church  history,  among  which 
we  may  mention  the  following:  D.  Y.  Heisler,  "Fathers  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church,"  Vol.  V.,  Reading,  1881 ;  C.  Z  Weiser,  "A  Monograph 
of  the  New  Goshenhoppen  and  Great  Swamp  Reformed  Charge,  1731- 
1881,"  Reading,  1882  ;  Theodore  Appel,  "Recollections  of  College  Life  at 
Marshall  College,"  Reading  1886;  J.  I.  Good,  "The  Origin  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  Germany,"  Reading,  1887;  D.  Y.  Heisler,  "The 
Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church,"  Vol.  VI.,  Reading,  1888  ;  Thomas  M. 
Yundt,  ''A  History  of  Bethany  Orphans'  Home,"  Reading,  1888;  J.  I. 
Good,  "  Rambles  Round  Reformed  Lands,"  Reading,  1889  ;  A.  R.  Kremer, 
"A  Biographical  Sketch  of  John  Williamson  Nevin,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.," 
Reading,  1890;  J.  I.  Good,  "History  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Ger- 
many, 1620-1890,"  Reading,  1894  ;  J.  I.  Good,  "History  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States^  1725-1792,"  Reading,  1899;  C.  Z.  Weiser, 
"The  Life  of  Conrad  Weiser," second  edition,  Reading,  1899  ;  Daniel  Mil- 
ler, "History  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Reading,  Pa,"  Reading,  1905. 
Besides  these  the  author  has  published  a  number  of  sermon  books,  written 
by  Reformed  ministers,  as  well  as  other  books  calculated  to  instruct  and 
edify  our  people. 

In  the  present  volume  the  author  has  availed  himself  of  the  rich  store- 
house of  the  Holland  documents,  as  well  as  of  the  many  historical  articles 
which  have  appeared  from  to  time  in  his  paper.  Reformed  Church  Rec- 
ord. He  has  presented  his  material  in  numerous  sketches,  which  are 
well  adapted  to  bring  out  the  many-sided  character  of  our  history. 

May  this  new  contribution  to  our  history  do  its  share  in  keeping  green 
the  memory  of  our  fathers,  their  heroic  struggles  and  arduous  labors. 
May  it  increase  in  our  people  their  Jove  for  and  devotion  to  their  beloved 
Church,  and  lead  them  to  a  better  realization  of  the  blessed  heritage  which 
has  been  handed  down  to  them.  WM.  J.  HINKE 

Philadelphia,  August,  1906. 


CONTENTS. 


PAflE 


1.  The  Beginning, 9 

2.  The  First  Reformed  Minister, 13 

3.  A  Voyage  Nearly  200  Years  Ago,    .     .     .     .  17 

4.  Poverty  of  the  Early  Settlers, 23 

5.  How  and  Where  Our  Forefathers  Worshiped,  27 

6.  Two  Early  Lay  Preachers, 35 

7.  The  First  Pastoral  Charge, 39 

8.  Early  Churches, 43 

9.  Early  Church  Debts,       50 

10.  First  Constitution  of  the  Reformed  Church,    .  55 

1 1 .  Scarcity  of  Ministers, 59 

12.  Confession  of  Early  Reformed  Ministers,   .     .  64 

13.  Spirit  of  Early  Ministers, 66 

14.  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit,    ....  69 

15.  Rev.  Boehm's  Warnings, 72 

16.  Early  Church  Conventions, 76 

17.  Early  Sects, 79 

18.  Care  of  the  Church  in  Holland, 83 

19.  The  Coetus, 91 

20.  Elders  at  Coetus, 96 

21.  "  Censura  Morum," 100 

22.  Method  of  Voting, 102 

23.  Early  Church  Quarrels, 104 

24.  Charity  Schools, Ill 


CONTENTS.  VII 

PAGE 

25.  Pastoral  Support, 115 

26.  Pastoral  Work, 120 

27.  Perquisites, 123 

28.  The  Indian  War, 125 

29.  Reformed  Patriots, 132 

30.  The  Coetus  and  Gen.  Washington,    .     .     .     .151 

31.  Languages  Used  by  Coetus, 154 

32.  Language  Question, 157 

33.  An  Early  Graveyard, 162 

34.  Money  Not  Going  to  the  Right  Place,   .     .     .164 

35.  Yellow  Fever  in  Philadelphia, 169 

36.  Early  Reformed  Sunday  Schools,       .     .     .     .172 

37.  Services  for  Children, 179 

38.  Early  Church  Societies, 182 

39.  Ministerial  Relief  Society, 188 

40.  Early  Educational  Movements, 192 

41.  Early  Customs, 199 

42.  Names  of  Congregations, 207 

43.  Churches  of  Various  Periods, 217 

44.  Slavery  in  Pennsylvania, 225 

45.  Liberty  of  the  People, 230 

46.  Boehm's  Church, 234 

47.  Family  of  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm,     .     .     .  237 

48.  The  Church  at  Conestoga, 240 

49.  Worthless  Preachers, 247 

50.  First  Church  North  of  the  Blue  Mountains,    .  250 

51.  A  Minister's  Tragic  Death, 252 

52.  Early  Defections,  . 254 

53.  Miscellaneous, 256 


Viri  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 


First  Church,  Philadelphia, .30 

CoDrad  Tempel man's  Home, 37 

Falkner  Swamp  Church, 41 

First  Church,  Reading, 45 

Rev.  Michael  Schlatter, 87 

School  House,  Reading, .112 

Col.  Henry  Bouquet, 127 

Capt.  Peter  Nagel, 139 

Col.  Nicholas  Lotz, 140 

Gov.  Joseph  Hiester, 142 

Franklin  College,  Lancaster,      . 196 

Second  Church,  Reading, 218 

Third  Church  Style, 220 

Modern  Church, 223 


1. 

THE  BEGINNING. 

Let  us  take  a  look  at  Pennsylvania  as  it  existed  in 
1710,  the  time  when  the  first  Reformed  minister,  Rev. 
Samuel  Guldin,  located  here.  Pennsylvania,  as  well  as 
the  state  of  Delaware,  was  the  property  of  AVilliam 
Penn,  who  had  purchased  this  territory  from  the  Brit- 
ish government.  The  father  of  William  Penn  was 
Admiral  Sir  William  Penn,  a  noted  English  naval  offi- 
cer. At  the  time  of  his  death  he  held  a  claim  of  six- 
teen thousand  pounds  against  the  English  government. 
This  con  isted  principally  of  money  advanced  and 
arrearages  in  his  salary.  This  claim  at  the  admiraPs 
death  descended  to  his  son,  William  Penn.  In  1680 
Mr.  Penn  asked  the  English  government  to  give  him  a 
deed  for  the  territory  now  embraced  in  Pennsylvania 
and  Delaware  in  settlement  of  his  claim.  This  was 
assented  to,  and  on  March  4,  1681,  the  King  of  Eng- 
land, Charles  the  Second,  signed  the  deed.  William 
Penn's  object  was  to  found  a  religious  nation  as  a 
model  of  true  freedom,  where  the  oppressed  of  Europe 
would  find  a  place  of  refuge. 

Penn  visited  his  new  possessions  in  1682,  and  or- 
ganized a  government.  He  appointed  a  governor  and 
other  officers.  He  returned  to  England  in  1684.  In 
1699  he  made  a  second  visit  to  Pennsylvania,  and  re- 
turned to  England  in  1701.  It  is  an  interesting  state- 
2 


10  EARLY   HISTORY 

ment  for  us  that  the  mother  of  William  Penn  was  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.  Mr.  Penn 
was  a  student  in  the  Reformed  university  of  Saumur 
in  France,  in  1662-3.  In  1710,  when  Rev.  Samuel 
Guldin  came  here,  Penn's  governor  was  Chas.   Cookin. 

William  Penn  had  the  misfortune,  like  many  other 
people,  of  getting  deeply  into  debt.  In  1707  he  was 
involved  in  a  costly  law  suit,  and  was  obliged  to  mort- 
gage his  American  province  for  a  loan  of  £6,600  ster- 
ling. In  the  following  year,  1708,  he  was  thrown  into 
prison  for  debt,  but  released  through  the  aid  of  friends. 

In  order  to  extricate  himself  from  his  financial 
troubles,  William  Penn  in  1712  agreed  to  sell  his 
American  possessions  (Pennsylvania  and  Delaware)  to 
Queen  Anne,  the  English  ruler,  for  £12,000  sterling. 
Before  the  papers  could  be  executed,  William  Penn 
was  stricken  with  apoplexy,  and.  the  sale  was  not  car- 
ried out.  But  for  this  occurrence  our  state  would  have 
fallen  back  to  England.  William  Penn  died  on  July 
30,  1718,  and  his  property  descended  to  his  sons  and 
afterwards  to  his  grandsons. 

In  1710,  when  Guldin  came  here,  there  were  only 
a  few  inhabited  places  in  our  state  outside  of  Philadel- 
phia. In  1700  the  city  consisted  of  700  houses  and 
over  4500  inhabitants.  The  whole  state  was  a  vast 
forest,  mostly  inhabited  by  the  Indians.  In  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  state  there  were  a  few  settlements,  out- 
side of  which  all  was  a  vast  forest.  As  far  as  we 
know,  there  was  only  one  church  outside  of  Philadel- 
phia in  1710,  the  one  erected  by  Swedish  Lutherans  at 
Molatten,  the  present  village  of  Douglassville,  Berks 
county.     This  church  is  supposed  to  have  been  erected 


OF   THE   KEFORMED   CHURCH.  11 

before  1703.  Little  was  then  known  of  the  extent  and 
character  of  the  territory  of  the  now  great  state  of 
Pennsylvania. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  designate  any  particular 
date  as  the  beginning  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Penn- 
sylvania, because  during  a  number  of  years  the  first 
congregations  were  only  partially  organized.  In  a 
general  way  the  year  1720  may  be  accepted  as  the  date 
of  the  beginning,  because  the  Falkner  Swamp  congre- 
gation dates  its  beginning  in  that  year.  But  even  that 
congregation  was  not  fully  organized  until  several 
years  after  that  date.  All  of  the  earlier  congregations 
worshiped  during  a  number  of  years  in  private  houses, 
and  were  not  fully  organized.  The  people  came  to- 
gether to  worship  God  in  the  best  way  possible  under 
their  unfavorable  circumstances.  They  were  led  in 
their  w^orship  by  pious  laymen,  of  whom  John  Philip 
Boehm  and  Conrad  Tempelman  were  the  most  promi- 
nent. These  men  led  the  people  in  prayer  and  praise, 
and  read  passages  of  Scripture  and  sermons  for  their 
edification.  The  first  Reformed  church  of  which  we 
have  any  record  was  the  one  at  Skippack,  which  was 
erected  about  1727. 

But  these  men  were  not  the  first  ones  to  conduct 
public  w^orship.  The  first  one  to  do  this  in  Pennsyl- 
vania as  a  representative  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  was  Rev.  Samuel  Guldin,  who  is  mentioned 
elsewhere.     But  he  did  not  organize  any  congregations. 

The  fact  is  that  the  beginning  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  Pennsylvania  w^as  a  gradual  matter.  The 
people  of  certain  districts  met  with  some  degree  of  reg- 
ularity in  various  private   houses,  but   they   were    not 


12  EARLY    HISTORY 

formally  organized.  They  had  neither  elders  nor  dea- 
cons. There  was  no  one  to  ordain  such.  It  is  true, 
Rev.  Mr.  Guldin  was  here,  but  he  appears  to  have 
lived  quietly  upon  his  farm,  and  there  is  no  evidence 
that  he  made  any  efforts  to  organize  the  people.  In  a 
letter  to  Holland,  dated  February  13,  1733,  it  is  stated 
that  the  Conestoga  congregation  (now  in  Lancaster 
city)  was  commenced  in  1725,  and  was  served  by  Rev. 
John  P.  Boehm.  Two  years  later  the  congregation 
elected  elders.  The  congregation  was  divided  into  six 
meeting  places.  Three  of  them  were  supplied  by  Rev. 
John  Peter  Miller.  It  is  stated  that  Conrad  Tempel- 
man  was  a  reader  at  the  time,  and  it  is  supposed  that 
he  supplied  the  other  three  places. 

Considering  all  the  facts  at  hand,  it  seems  to  be 
proper  to  say  that  the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsyl- 
vania had  its  origin  here  about  1720. 

The  question  may  properly  be  asked,  why  did  our 
Reformed  forefathers  come  here  ?  The  principal  reason 
was  religious  persecution.  It  was  this  that  drove  the 
Germans  in  the  Palatinate  and  the  Huguenots  of  France 
from  their  homes.  Many  came  to  Pennsylvania  to  find 
an  asylum  in  the  free  state  which  William  Penn  had 
founded.  Here  tliey  found  religious  freedom,  but  aside 
from  this  great  boon  they  had  to  endure  severe  hard- 
ships. The  country  was  undeveloped.  It  was  a  vast 
forest.  The  pioneer  settlers  had  to  start  at  the  very 
beginning  in  establishing  new  homes.  The  first  thing 
to  be  done  was  the  erection  of  small  log  cabins  for  their 
families.  Then  the  land  had  to  be  cleared  so  as  to 
raise  bread  from  the  virgin  soil.  These  facts  show  what 
the  people  were  willing  to  endure  for  religious  freedom. 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  13 


2. 

THE  FIRST  REFORMED  MINISTER. 

The  first  Reformed  minister  who  preached  the  gos- 
pel in  Pennsylvania,  of  whom  we  have  any  record,  was 
Rev.  Samuel  Guldio,  who  came  here  in  1710,  landing 
at  Philadelphia  on  September  23,  with  his  wife  and  four 
children.  He  was  a  native  of  Berne,  Switzerland.  He 
was  born  in  1660  and  baptized  on  April  8,  1664.  The 
father's  name  was  Joachim  Guldin.  The  son  was  forty 
years  of  age  when  he  came  to  America  with  his  family 
in  1710. 

Samuel  Guldin  received  a  liberal  education  at  Berne. 
He  also  studied  at  Geneva  and  Lausanne  in  Switzer- 
land, and  also  spent  some  time  in  Germany  and  Hol- 
land. He  was  a  Pietist,  which  means  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian. On  this  account  he  was  called  to  suffer  persecu- 
tion, and  it  was  this  which  induced  him  to  emigrate  to 
America.  In  1692  Mr.  Guldin  was  made  pastor  of  the 
church  at  Stettlen,  Switzerland,  near  Berne.  His  earn- 
est preaching  attracted  great  attention.  Like  the  Mas- 
ter, the  common  people  heard  him  gladly.  But  Guldin 
was  not  satisfied  with  his  religious  condition.  He  states 
that  on  August  4,  1693,  he  received  new  light  and  en- 
tered upon  a  fuller  knowledge  of  the  truth.  He  now 
preached  with  greater  earnestness  and  eloquence.  On 
December  26,  1696,  he  was  elected  associate  pastor  of 


14  EARLY    HISTORY 

the  Minster,  the  principal  church  in  the  city  of  Berne, 
where  his  influence  was  greatly  enlarged  and  all  classes 
of  people  flocked  to  hear  him.  He  insisted  upon  a 
change  of  heart  and  a  pious  life.  His  bold  preaching 
brought  him  into  conflict  with  the  rulers  of  the  Church. 

Rev.  Guldin  was  cited  to  trial  before  the  Great 
Council  of  the  Canton  of  Berne,  together  with  two  other 
Pietists,  named  Koenig  and  Lutz.  The  trial  ended  on 
June  9,  1699,  and  all  of  the  accused  were  found  guilty. 
The  charges  were  flimsy  in  character.  The  object  of 
the  trial  appears  to  have  been  more  to  suppress  Pietism 
than  to  punish  the  three  individuals.  One  of  the 
charges  was  that  of  "  crowding  the  churches.^^  This 
was  directed  against  Guldin,  who  had  attracted  many 
country  people  to  his  church,  and  it  was  charged  that 
the  Sabbath  was  thereby  being  desecrated.  It  is  also 
stated  that  other  pastors  were  brought  into  disrepute 
and  their  feelings  embittered  ;  that  is,  the  people  who 
were  tired  of  the  cold,  formal  preaching,  went  to  hear 
the  warm  truth  preached  by  Guldin.  Then  fault  was 
found  in  the  charges  that  some  of  the  people  in  church 
had  acquired  the  habit  of  quaking,  somewhat  like  the 
Quakers  in  England.  Objection  was  also  made  to  meet- 
ings held  without  authority,  at  which  psalms  were  sung 
and  religious  subjects  considered  !  These  meetings  were 
equivalent  to  prayer  meetings.  These  charges  show 
clearly  that  Berne  was  badly  in  need  of  a  new  reforma- 
tion. But  we  must  remember  that  Church  and  State 
were  united. 

Koenig  was  charged  with  having  spoken  disrespect- 
fully of  the  government  and  was  deposed  from  the  min- 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  15 

istry.  Guldiu  aod  Lutz  fared  a  little  better.  They 
were  suspended  from  their  pastoral  charges  and  forbid- 
den to  preach,  and  also  forbidden  to  attend  the  private 
(prayer)  meetings  under  penalty  of  being  deposed  from 
the  ministry.  If  they  would  renounce  Pietism,  they 
could  after  awhile  be  appointed  to  inferior  positions  as 
far  away  from  Berne  as  possible. 

Guldin  was  oifered  an  obscure  charge  in  the  moun- 
tains, but  declined,  and  expresssed  himself  freejy  about 
the  Council.  For  this  he  was  arrested  and  imprisoned 
for  some  time.  After  his  release  he  lived  for  several 
years  in  retirement  in  a  villaoje  near  Berne.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  he  now  determined  to  emigrate  to  America, 
where  he  could  enjoy  religious  freedom.  But  here  he 
had  to  spend  an  isolated  life  and  could  not  fully  employ 
his  excellent  talents  in  the  service  of  the  Master. 

As  stated  before,  Rev.  Samuel  Guldin  landed  at 
Philadelphia  on  September  23,  1710,  with  his  family. 
(See  his  account  of  the  long  voyage  elsewhere.)  He 
located  first  at  "  Rocksburg,"  now  Eoxboro,  a  short 
distance  north  of  Philadelphia,  subsequently  in  Oley, 
Berks  county.  It  is  a  matter  of  much  regret  that  but 
little  is  known  of  his  work  here  as  a  minister.  He 
preached  in  houses,  barns  and  groves  as  opportunity 
oflPered.  Churches  there  were  none.  He  preached  ten 
years  before  the  pious  laymen  Boehm  and  Tempelman 
commenced  to  read  sermons  to  the  people  and  lead  them 
in  worship.  He  was  the  only  Peformed  minister  in 
Pennsylvania.  What  an  isolated  position  he  occupied. 
After  the  Reformed  church  in  Germantown  had  been 
erected   in    1733,    Mr.    Guldin    preached   occasionally 


16  EARLY   HISTORY 

there,  according  to  the  report  of  Rev.  Boehm  in  1 739. 
In  1743  Mr.  Guldin  took  a  firm  stand  against  Count 
Zinzendorf's  movement  to  unite  all  the  Protestants  in 
Pennsylvania  into  one  body  called  '^The  Congregation 
of  God  in  the  Spirit."  He  had  attended  the  first  synod 
of  the  movement  in  1742,  but  left  it  with  some  others, 
and  in  1743  issued  a  book  against  the  mov^emeut  under 
the  title  of  "  Unpartisan  Witness."  Guldin  was  now 
an  old  man,  but  he  saw  the  tendency  of  the  new  move- 
ment, and  did  what  he  could  to  induce  the  Reformed 
people  to  be  faithful  to  their  standards  and  Church. 
He  took  the  same  position  as  Rev.  J.  P.  Boehm  on  this 
subject. 

Several  years  after  publishing  his  book  Rev.  Mr. 
•Guldin  died,  viz.,  on  December  31,  1745,  at  Philadel- 
phia, at  the  age  of  about  eighty-one  years.  Tradition 
tells  us  that  he  was  buried  in  the  family  graveyard  in 
Oley.  This  would  imply  that  he  had  been  on  a  visit 
to  Philadelphia,  when  death  overtook  him. 

This  is  the  record  of  the  first  Reformed  minister  in 
Pennsylvania.  Rev.  John  C.  Guldin,  at  one  time  pas- 
tor at  Brownback's  church,  Chester  county,  was  one  of 
his  great-great-grandsons,  and  Rev.  James  G.  Dengler, 
of  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  is  a  lineal  descendant  on  the  mater- 
nal side  of  Rev.  Samuel  Guldin. 

It  has  at  times  been  claimed  that  Rev.  Henry  Hae- 
ger,  who  with  twelve  families  located  in  Virginia  about 
1714,  was  the  first  German  Reformed  minister  in 
America,  but  this  is  an  error.  It  is  however  probable 
that  his  people  erected  the  first  German  Reformed 
church  in  this  country  at  Germantown,  N.  C,  where 
they  located  in  1718. 


OF   THE    HEFORMED   CHURCH.  17 


3. 

A  VOYAGE  NEARLY  200  YEARS  AGO. 

Rev.  Samuel  Gnldin,  the  first  Reformed  minister 
in  Pennsylvania,  a  short  sketch  of  whose  life  is  given 
elsewhere,  lauded  with  his  wife  aud  four  children  at 
Philadelphia  on  September  23,  1710,  after  a  long  aud 
tedious  voyage. 

Under  date  of  December  1,  1710,  Mr.  Guldin  wrote 
a  lengthy  report  of  the  voyage  of  himself  and  family 
across  the  Atlantic.  They  sailed  from  London  on  July 
5  and  reached  Philadelphia  on  September  23,  1710. 
They  were  thus  eleven  weeks  or  nearly  three  months 
on  the  water.  The  voyage  is  now  made  in  six  days  by 
our  modern  great  ships.  Then  tliere  were  of  course  no 
steamships.  Mr.  Guldin's  description  of  the  voyage  is 
quite  interesting,  aud  we  give  the  following  extracts 
from  it : 

The  ship  in  which  the  Guldin  family  came  was 
called  ^' Maria  Hope.''  The  report  of  Mr.  Guldin 
abounds  in  expressions  of  the  Lord's  goodness.  Xeither 
one  of  the  Guldin  family  (parents  and  four  children) 
was  sick  during  the  voyage.  Many  others  were  sick, 
including  the  crew  aud  the  captain.  The  ship  ''  Maria 
Hope"  w^as  for  some  distance  guarded  by  several  Rus- 
sian warships.     Mr.  Guldin  writes  : 

"  The  journey  was  very  tedious  and  toilsome,  not 
only  on  account  of  the  many  dangers,  the  tempestuous 


18  EARLY   HISTORY 

ocean,  the  hidden  cliffs  and  sand  banks,  and  by  reason 
of  the  roving  robbers  and  pirates,  but  especially  on  ac- 
count of  the  hard,  unhealthy  food  on  the  ship,  intoler- 
able to  many,  through  which  the  people  became  easily 
sick  and  some  died.  But  the  Lord  has  led  us  safely 
through  all  this,  so  that  none  of  the  passengers  died. 
On  July  5,  1710,  we  sailed  from  London.  Within  the 
first  hour  after  departure  our  ship  ran  into  a  little 
boat,  by  which  a  boy  drowned.  Afterward  it  ran  into 
another  ship,  and  both  ships  were  damaged,  the  corn- 
ers being  knocked  from  our  ship.  In  consequence  of 
this  our  captain  was  arrested  by  a  warship  on  July  8, 
and  another  captain  was  given  us  at  Gravesend.  We 
soon  after  encountered  a  violent  storm,  and  many  peo- 
ple took  sick,  so  that  they  could  no  longer  eat  the 
salted  meat  which  was  cooked  in  salt  water.  After 
that  time  neither  I  nor  any  of  my  children  tasted  any 
meat  during  the  whole  journey.  During  the  night  of 
July  21  during  a  violent  storm  our  ship  collided  with 
another  vessel,  which  brought  us  great  danger.  On  the 
evening  of  July  25  we  saw  seven  French  warships  with 
white  flags,  and  everybody  was  in  great  alarm  all  night, 
because  there  were  only  four  warships  with  us.  But 
we  saw  these  ships  no  more.  On  the  evening  of  July 
25  the  Russian  fleet  left  us,  and  we  fell  in  with  four 
ships  all  bound  for  America.  On  July  30  we  saw  the 
island  Festland.  This  was  the  last  land  we  saw,  and 
we  were  now  on  the  great  ocean.  We  had  a  good  wind, 
so  that  at  times  we  made  eight  miles  an  hour.  Dur- 
ing the  early  days  of  August  two  of  the  ships  left  us, 
one  going  to  Jamaica,  the  other  to  Guiana.     The  third 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  19 

was  going  to  Carolina,  and  left  us  afterward.  From 
August  8  to  12  we  saw  a  large  number  of  fishes,  called 
porpoises,  which  was  soon  followed  by  a  storm.  On 
August  14  the  fourth  ship  left  us,  going  to  New  Eng- 
land. On  August  17  the  storm  was  so  severe  that  we 
could  have  only  half  a  sail  hoisted.  The  rudder  had 
to  be  tied  securely,  and  during  the  whole  night  we  had 
to  leave  the  ship  to  the  mercy  of  wind  and  waves.  The 
waves  were  like  mountains,  and  the  ship  was  sometimes 
so  high  that  we  thought  we  would  be  capsized.  Then 
again  it  went  down  so  deep  that  it  appeared  as  though 
we  Avould  be  hurled  into  the  depths,  and  yet  with  all 
that  I  and  my  children  had  no  fear.  After  this  we  saw 
many  fishes.  On  September  9  we  saw  several  large 
fishes  following  each  other  like  cows.  On  September 
12  we  had  the  best  wind  of  all,  and  made  nine  miles 
an  hour.  On  September  15  we  could  touch  bottom 
with  our  sounding  line.  The  water  was  15  fathoms 
deep,  that  is,  30  English  or  45  German  yards. 

"  On  the  morning  of  September  16  we  saw  land  for 
the  first  time,  and  greatly  rejoiced  that  the  Lord  had 
helped  us  so  far.  On  the  same  day  we  entered  the 
Delaware  river  so  far  that  Ave  were  safe  from  all  pir- 
ates. The  vvater  was  only  six  fathoms  deep,  and  we 
could  not  proceed  during  the  night.  Next  day  (Sept. 
17)  Ave  started  Avith  the  tide  of  the  ocean,  but  ran  upon 
a  sand  bank,  and  Ave  were  kept  busy  all  afternoon  try- 
ing to  get  off  again.  HoAvever  Ave  had  to  stay  there 
during  the  night.  On  September  18  we  obtained  a 
pilot  to  conduct  us  up  the  DelaAvare,  and  with  it  came 
the  first-fruits  of  the  new  land's  apples   and   peaches. 


20  EARLY   HISTORY 

On  September  20  we  arrived  at  Newcastle,  where  some 
of  us  went  on  land  for  the  first  time.  We  were  well 
received  by  some  people,  who  gave  us  not  only  to  eat 
and  drink,  but  also  gave  us  apples  and  peaches  to  take 
back  to  the  ship — as  many  as  we  could  carry.  On 
September  21,  as  we  continued,  others  came  to  us  on 
the  ship,  who  invited  the  captain  and  all  the  people  to 
a  dinner.  Others  brought  large  sacks  of  apples  on  the 
ship  to  divide  among  the  people.  The  same  happened 
to  some  of  us  who  left  the  ship  on  September  22,  going 
some  miles  on  foot  until  we  saw  Philadelphia  for  the 
first  time  from  a  distance,  and  came  into  the  city  early 
on  the  23d  of  September,  where  the  ship  also  arrived 
safely  at  noon. 

"  On  September  24  my  family  and  others  disem- 
barked, and  were  received  by  good  friends  into  their 
houses  for  several  days  free  and  without  money,  and 
were  shown  much  love.  We  remained  there  until 
September  27,  when  a  Christian  friend  of  my  country- 
men and  relatives  procured  a  good  house  for  us  eight 
miles  from  the  city,  among  good  friends,  which  he  gave 
us  for  the  winter,  or  as  long  as  we  should  need  it. 

"  Thus  the  long  and  tedious  journey  had  come  to  an 
end.  It  took  us  eleven  weeks  from  London  to  Phila- 
delphia, but  only  seven  weeks  from  one  side  of  the 
ocean  to  the  other.  Three  weeks  we  spent  with  the 
Russian  fleet  along  the  coast  of  England  and  Scotland, 
and  eight  days  on  the  Delaware.  Close  by  the  house 
of  my  friend  I  purchased  the  first  plantation  I  have 
seen,  where  we  shall  begin  to  live  next  spring.  The 
place  is  called  Rocksburg,  or  fortress  of  rocks,  as  the 


OF   THE   REFOEMED   CHURCH.  21 

whole  country  lies  upon  many  rocks.  Thus  our  ark 
has  come  to  rest  on  a  mountain. 

"  God  has  wonderfully  preserved  us.  Others  who 
went  with  the  fleet  last  spring  have  not  only  been  on 
board  the  ship  twenty-seven  weeks,  but  many  of  them 
have  died.  Among  these  the  dear  and  well-known 
Maurice  lost  his  life  at  sea.  Who  would  have  thought 
that  such  a  strong  young  man  would  not  be  able  to 
pass  through  this  journey,  whilst  weak  ones  were  able 
to  endure  it.  The  ship  upon  which  the  dear  Maurice 
died  suffered  shipwreck  at  the  end  of  its  journey  along 
the  coast  of  New  York.  All  the  people  were  saved, 
but  the  ship  was  lost,  and  nearly  all  the  goods  were 
either  lost  or  spoiled,  and  much  of  what  was  brought 
to  the  land  was  stolen  during  the  confusion.  From 
this  we  can  see  why  the  dear  Lord  permitted  us  to 
miss  the  fleet  in  the  spring.  Our  coming  too  late  was 
for  our  own  good. 

"  AYe  also  arrived  during  the  time  when  apples  and 
peaches  were  plentiful,  and  not  during  a  dry  and  bar- 
ren season,  so  that  we  had  at  once  enough  to  eat  of  the 
fruits  of  the  land,  and  have  already  gathered  a  full 
harvest  before  we  have  labored.  Others  have  planted 
for  us.  We  have  obtained  so  much  fruit  that  the 
whole  house  has  been  filled,  above  and  below.  We 
dried  so  much  fruit  that  we  have  enough  not  only  for 
this  winter,  but  also  for  the  coming  summer.  The 
Lord  has  amply  provided  for  us  on  both  sides  of  the 
great  ocean. 

'^  I  should  now  close  this  big  letter,  if  I  would  not 
want  to  give  you  a  short  account  of  the   conditions  of 


22  EARLY    HISTORY 

the  land,  as  far  as  they  have  come  to  my  knowledge. 
The  country  in  itself  is  very  good,  but  not  everything 
is  true  which  has  been  circulated  about  it.  This  coun- 
try has  mountains  and  valleys,  good  and  bad,  sandy 
and  clayey.  There  is  good  water,  lumber  and  stones 
enough  to  build.  During  the  summer,  because  of  the 
intense  heat,  it  has  unusual  luxuriousness,  causing 
everything  to  grow  very  rapidly,  so  that  within  six 
years  the  seeds  have  become  trees  yielding  fruit.  But 
for  this  reason  the  land  is  drained  all  the  more  easily. 
As  a  result  the  land  which  was  good  before  becomes 
bad,  as  can  be  seen  in  Germantown,  where  the  land  is 
not  cultivated.  Apples  and  peaches  are  very  plentiful, 
which  grow  up  from  seeds  without  being  grafted. 
They  are  very  good  and  so  plenty  as  I  have  never  seen 
before.  Pigs  and  horses  eat  more  of  these  here  than 
people  do  in  many  places  in  Germany.  There  are 
many  chestnut  trees  here,  but  they  are  very  small. 
There  are  many  oak  trees,  but  few  beeches,  also  pop- 
lars.^^ 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  23 


4. 
POVERTY  OF  THE  EARLY  SETTLERS. 

The  condition  of  the  early  settlers  in  Pennsylvania 
was  sad.  They  were  with  few  exceptions  very  poor. 
Many  of  them  had  come  here  after  the  devastating  re- 
ligious wars  in  Europe.  They  came  largely  at  the  in- 
vitation of  William  Penn,  who  had  a  warm  interest  in 
the  Reformed  people,  partly  because  his  mother  had 
been  Reformed,  and  also  because  he  knew  they  would 
make  excellent  settlers  for  his  province  Pennsylvania. 
The  Palatines  then  at  Schoharie,  IST.  Y.,  came  to  Tul- 
pehocken  principally  because  Sir  William  Keith,  Penn's 
governor  of  Pennsylvania,  on  a  visit  to  New  York 
state,  "informed  them  of  the  freedom  and  justice  ac- 
corded to  their  countrymen  in  Pennsylvania.^'  Many 
Palatines  had  already  come  to  Pennsylvania  directly 
from  Europe,  and  their  good  treatment  was  published 
far  and  wide.  In  1717  three  shiploads  of  Palatines 
landed  at  Philadelphia. 

Most  of  the  people  came  practically  empty-handed. 
They  took  up  land  on  credit,  and  the  payment  of  inter- 
est was  burdensome.  Many  were  brought  over  by  the 
Land  Companies,  and  as  they  had  no  money  to  pay  for 
their  passage,  they  were  sold  at  Philadelphia  to  serve 
a  certain  period  of  time,  usually  from  three  to  five 
years.  These  people  were  called  Redemptioners. 
Many  were  sold  to  English   people   in    Philadelphia, 


24  EARLY    HISTORY 

others  to  the  same  class  nearby.  Thus  there  were 
white  slaves  in  Pennsylvania  at  one  time.  The  sys- 
tem was  abolished  in  1750. 

Kevs.  John  B.  Rieger  and  John  J.  Diemer  made 
an  extended  report  on  the  condition  of  the  people  here 
to  the  Synodical  Deputies  in  Holland  under  date  of 
March  4,  1732.  We  make  these  extracts  from  their 
report : 

"  We  think  there  are  altogether  15-16,000  German 
Reformed  in  Pennsylvauia,  but  these  people  live  scat- 
tered over  more  than  three  hundred  miles  of  territory, 
and  there  are  no  churches  in  the  laud.  We  have  thus 
far  only  two  regularly  called  ministers,  and  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  ascertain  the  actual  number  of  members. 
The  most  of  those  who  come  here  are  compelled  to  sell 
themselves  for  their  passage  money,  and  also  their  chil- 
dren, who  generally  must  serve  until  their  twentieth 
year.  Here  in  Philadelphia  some  100  are  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  English  people,  but  they  have  the  privilege 
to  attend  our  service.  Others  in  the  country  who  have 
no  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  the  Reformed  relig- 
ion, resort  to  other  sects,  of  which  there  are  a  great 
number  in  the  land,  or  they  accustom  themselves  to 
live  without  any  religion. 

"  There  is  in  this  province  only  one  actual  city, 
Philadelphia,  and  two  newly  laid  out,  Germantown 
and  the  new  town  at  Couestoga  (Lancaster).  There 
are  several  places  which  are  called  townships  where 
neighbors  live  one,  two  and  more  miles  from  each 
other.  These  are  Skippack,  New  Hanover,  Oley, 
Maxatawny,  Tulpehocken,  Cocalico,  Goshenhoppen  and 
Conestoga.     [Reading   had   no   existence   then.]     We 


OF    THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  25 

have  no  caudidates  at  all  for  the  ministry,  and  only  a 
few  school  teachers,  because  the  people  live  so  far  from 
each  other  that  they  cannot  send  many  children  to  one 
locality,  wherefore  the  children  must  be  allowed  to  grow 
up  in  the  greatest  ignorance. 

^'  Most  of  the  country  people  live  so  far  away  from 
town,  that  even  when  they  have  some  produce,  they 
cannot  turn  it  into  money,  for  being  six  to  eight  days 
under  way,  the  cost  of  carriage  would  not  even  be  paid. 
At  Philadelphia,  to  which  place  most  of  the  grain  is 
shipped,  there  are  only  ten  families  who  are  well-to-do, 
all  the  others  are  in  service.  Of  the  townships  Skip- 
pack  is  the  most  thickly  settled,  wliere  about  forty 
families  may  be  counted,  but  they  are  for  the  most  part 
poor. 

'^  Every  year  many  poor  people  arrive  here,  who  wish 
to  be  assisted  by  their  friends  to  pay  their  passage 
money.  During  the  past  year  (]  731)  nearly  4000  souls 
arrived  in  ten  ships.  By  far  the  smaller  number  had 
any  means,  and  the  most  of  them  had  to  be  sold  for 
their  passage  money.  This  causes  much  money  to  be 
sent  out  of  the  Ian  1,  whereas  it  is  scarce  enough  already. 
When  these  people  have  served  out  their  time,  they  are 
just  as  poor  as  when  they  first  arrived,  and  it  takes  a 
long  time  until  they  contribute  anything  to  the  church." 

Rev.  John  P.  Boehm,  who  did  very  much  for  the 
Reformed  people,  was  a  most  unselfish  man.  In  a  re- 
port to  the  Classis,  January  30,  1729,  he  states  that  he 
came  here  with  little  means  and  had  a  hard  strugiJ^le  to 
obtain  bread  for  his  family,  parents  and  six  children, 
until  he  could  secure  it  from  the  soil.  He  lived  upon 
3 


26  EARLY    HISTORY 

rented  land  and  had  to  pay  interest.  When  he  had 
worked  a  good  while  (1720  to  1725)  and  could  hope  to 
begin  to  pay  his  debts,  he  was  called  to  serve  the  peo- 
ple as  their  minister,  practically  without  salary.  He 
served  them  during  four  and  one-half  years  without  or- 
dination, and  during  this  time  received  only  forty  pounds 
for  salary.  This  was  about  §200  in  that  time.  Both 
before  and  after  his  ordination  he  worked  on  the  farm 
to  support  his  family,  when  not  absent  in  the  perform- 
ance of  ministerial  duties.  Instead  of  paying  his  debts, 
they  increased.  By  and  by  his  bodily  vigor  decreased, 
which  made  his  lot  harder.  Pie  pleaded  with  theClas- 
sis  for  aid. 

In  his  report  of  1739  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  states  that 
the  people  at  Falkner  Swamp,  White  Marsh,  Oley  and 
Philadelphia  had  no  churches  yet.  Services  were  held 
in  houses  and  barns.  He  states  that  the  people  at 
Gagushi  (Haiu's  in  Berks  county)  had  a  little  wooden 
church.  He  also  states  that  in  the  whole  country  there 
was  no  dwelling  for  a  minister  or  a  school  teacher. 

It  is  difficult  for  the  people  of  the  present  day  to 
form  a  proper  conception  of  the  condition  of  the  early 
settlers.  The  people  lived  in  rude  log  huts,  with  very 
little  furniture.'^ In  1744  a  minister  remained  over 
night  with  a  family  in  York  county.  There  were  no 
beds  or  bedsteads  in  the  log:  cabin.  It  is  stated  that 
all  slept  in  one  room — the  parents  in  one  corner,  several 
children  in  another  and  the  minister  in  a  third,  and  al  1 
upon  straw. 

In  1753  the  schoolmaster  at  Cocalico  (Bethany,  near 
Lititz)  stated  that  he  lived  during  the  winter  on  bread 
and  water. 


OP    THE    KEFORMED    CHURCH.  27 


5. 

HOW  AND  WHERE  OUR  FOREFATHERS  WORSHIPED. 

lu  the  early  history  of  PeDosylvania  the  Reformed 
people  had  only  a  few  ministers  and  no  chnrehes  in 
^vhich  to  worship.  They,  however,  held  services  in 
private  houses  and  had  sermons  read  for  their  instruc- 
tion and  edification.  As  a  rule  the  schoolmasters  con- 
ducted the  services  and  read  the  sermons  from  books. 
Of  course  all  was  in  German.  English  services  came 
at  a  later  date.  (In  the  city  of  Reading  there  was  no 
English  preaching  all  the  way  down  to  1842.) 

For  many  years  the  people  were  not  only  without 
churches  and  ministers,  but  also  without  Bibles  and 
other  good  books.  Some  had  brought  Bibles,  hymn 
books  and  catechisms  along  with  them  from  the  Father- 
land. But  not  all  The  consequence  was  great  igno- 
rance in  religious  matters.  Rev.  M.  Schlatter  brought 
several  hundred  Bibles  with  him  when  he  returned  from 
his  visit  to  Europe  in  1752.  Someof  these  Bibles  were 
given  to  churches,  and  for  a  long  time  nearly  all  Re- 
formed ministers  here  used  these  Bibles  in  preaching. 
One  of  these  Schlatter  Bibles  is  still  in  possession  of 
Muddy  Creek  congregation.  Another  one  is  in  posses- 
sion of  Falkner  Swamp  congregation.  Other  Bibles 
were  given  to  families. 

The  first  organized  Reformed  congregations  were 
those  of  Falkner  Swamp,  Skippack  and    Whitemarsh. 


28  EARLY    HISTORY 

Before  these  were  organized  some  of  the  Reformed  peo- 
ple of  the  places  named  went  all  the  way  to  Philadel- 
phia to  receive  the  communion  in  the  Presbyterian 
church.  This  was  before  1725.  In  that  year  Mr. 
John  p.  Boehm  commenced  preaching  at  these  places 
without  being  ordained,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the 
people,  after  having  for  several  years  conducted  servi- 
ces as  a  reader  of  sermons.  During  a  number  of  years 
the  services  were  held  in  houses  and  barns.  In  tlie 
course  of  time  small  log  churches  were  erected,  but  as 
the  people  w^re  very  poor,  they  could  not  pay  for  even 
such,  and  the  consequence  was  debts  resting  on  the 
humble  houses  of  worship. 

The  Falkner  Swamp  congregation  was  founded  in 
1720.  From  that  time  until  1725  Mr.  Boehm  read 
sermons  for  the  people.  In  1725  he  entered  upon  the 
full  ministry.  He  held  the  first  communion  there  on 
October  15,  1725,  with  40  guests.  The  services  were 
held  in  houses  and  barns  until  1740,  a  period  of  twenty 
years.  In  a  report,  dated  July  25,  1741,  Mr.  Boehm 
states  that  the  first  service  in  the  new  church  was  held 
on  June  21,  1740.  He  also  states  that  the  people  still 
owed  sixty  pounds  on  the  church,  which  was  a  frame 
building.     The  former  place  of  worship  had  been  sold. 

At  Skippack  there  was  a  frame  church  erected  in 
1727,  but  the  notorious  Jacob  Reiff  had  it  erected  upon 
his  land,  and  therefore  controlled  it.  When  he  was 
afterwards  asked  to  render  an  account  of  his  collections 
in  Europe  for  the  churches  at  Skippack  and  Philadel- 
phia, he  was  angered  and  refused  to  allow  the  Reformed 
people  to  worship  in  the  church  except  those  who  sided 


OF   THE   REFOEMED    CHURCH.  29 

with  him.  They  therefore  purchased  some  land  below 
Skippack,  and  Mr.  Boehm  made  himself  personally  re- 
sponsible for  the  payment.  He  asked  aid  from  Hol- 
land for  these  people  in  1744,  and  stated  that  he  had 
not  received  a  penny  from  these  people,  because  they 
were  poor.  He  lived  in  his  own  house  and  tilled  a 
small  farm  for  the  support  of  his  family.  Soon  after 
Eev.  Michael  Schlatter  had  arrived  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1746  he  on  August  7  went  to  the  farm  of  Mr.  Boehm 
and  found  him  working  in  a  field.  The  Skippack  peo- 
ple in  1760  reorganized  themselves  and  founded  the 
Wentz  congregation,  and  in  1762  erected  the  first  church 
upon  the  land  acquired  as  above  stated. 

Peter  Kalm,  in  describing  his  travels  in  America, 
states  that  the  Reformed  people  of  Philadelphia  in  their 
early  history  attended  the  German  Lutheran  services 
in  the  Swedish  church  which  was  founded  by  Swedish 
Lutherans,  who  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware  in 
the  southern  part  of  Philadelphia  in  April,  1638,  and 
dedicated  their  first  house  of  worship  on  September  4, 
1646.  Kalm  says  the  name  of  the  minister  was  Rev. 
Dylander.     (Rev.  Dy lander  came  to  America  in  1737.) 

In  the  year  1744  Mr.  Boehm  reported  that  the  Re- 
formed people  in  Philadelphia  had  until  then  worshiped 
in  an  old  and  dilapidated  "  butcher's  house,"  in  com- 
mon with  the  Lutherans,  at  a  rental  of  four  pounds  per 
year.  (It  must  be  assumed  that  the  house  and  not  the 
butcher  was  dilapidated.)  From  the  above  time  on  the 
Reformed  had  to  pay  the  rent  alone,  since  the  Luther- 
ans had  erected  a  church  for  themselves,  45  by  70  feet 
in  size.     This  old  house  of  worship  was  owned  by  Wm. 


30 


EARLY    HISTORY 


Allen  and  stood  on  Arch  street,  near  the  Quaker  burial 
groun'd.  Tradition  says  that  the  building  was  originally 
a  barn.  The  Reformed  congregation  was  organized  by 
Rev.  Geo.  M.  Weiss  soon  after  his  arrival  in  1727. 
The  exact  date  is  unknown,  but  it  is  supposed  to  be 
1728.  The  people  worshiped  in  a  rented  place  (likely 
the  butcher's  house)  until  the  completion  of  their  first 

church  on  Sassafras 
(now  Race)  street, 
corner  of  4th  street. 
On  Sunday,  Decem- 
ber 6, 1747,  Rev.  Mr. 
Schlatter  prea  c  h  e  d 
the  first  sermon  in 
it.  The  church  was 
not  yet  plastered,  and 
there  was  neither  gal- 
lery nor  window,  as 
the  record  states. 
Thus  the  people  wor- 
shiped in  winter 
without  heat.    Stoves 

First  Church,  Philadelphia.  WOuld    haVC    bcCU  of 

no  use,  when  there  were  no  windows.  The  church 
was  a  small  six-cornered  building.  There  was  a 
small  steeple  or  cupola  in  the  centre.  The  humble 
house  of  worship  was  surmounted  by  a  weather-vane  in 
the  form  of  a  rooster,  which  was  a  Holland  symbol. 
We  are  not  told  how  soon  the  little  new  six- cornered 
church  was  completed.  The  people  of  those  days  had 
a  high  regard  for  public   worship.     For  a  long  time  a 


^^m 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  31 

chain  was  stretched  across  the  street  during  the  time  of 
worship,  so  that  the  congregation  might  not  be  dis- 
turbed by  passing  vehicles.  Now  many  congregations 
are  disturbed  by  trolley  and  steam  cars. 

In  the  Tulpehocken  region  in  the  western  part  of 
Berks  county  there  were  two  Tulpehocken  Reformed 
congregations.  The  first  congregation  was  organized  in 
1727  by  Palatines  coming  with  Conrad  Weiser,  sr.,  from 
Schoharie,  N.  Y.,  in  1723,  and  for  some  years  wor- 
shiped with  the  Lutherans  in  the  Reed  church,  which 
is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  union  church  of  the 
two  denominations  in  this  country.  Rev.  J.  P.  Boehm 
administered  the  first  communion  at  Tulpehocken  in 
October,  1727,  to  32  persons.  After  worshiping  some 
years  in  the  Reed  church  the  Reformed  people  with- 
drew and  erected  a  small  log  church  on  four  acres  of 
ground  at  the  place  now  known  as  Host  church,  five 
miles  north  of  Womelsdorf,  Pa.  In  1743  a  new^  log 
churc'i  was  erected  here.  The  congregation  was  pretty 
large.  Before  there  was  a  regular  pastor,  Francis  Lay- 
enberger,  a  schoolmaster,  conducted  worship  and  read 
sermons  for  the  people.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a 
faithful  watchman  against  the  sects. 

The  location  at  Host  was  not  satisfactory  to  many 
of  the  congregation,  because  it  was  too  far  away  from 
those  in  the  western  part.  In  1738  they  secured  100 
acres  of  land  IJ  miles  west  of  Stouchsburg  and  erected 
a  church  upon  it.  This  congregation  is  known  as  Trin- 
ity Tulpehocken  church.  Thus  there  w^ere  two  Tulpe- 
hocken churches,  which  caused  much  confusion  in  mat- 
ters of  hi>torv. 


32  EARLY    HISTORY 

The  Tulpehocken  region  was  uudoubtedly  the  stroDg- 
est  Reformed  settlemeot  at  that  time.  Rev.  Mr. 
Schlatter  reports  that  on  September  21,  1746,  Rev. 
Mr.  Boehm  made  a  special  journey  to  Tulpehocken  "  to 
notify  the  two  congregations  there  to  assemble  on  Sept. 
25  to  regulate  their  church  affairs.'^  On  Sunday  fol- 
lowing, September  25,  Mr.  Schlatter  preached  there, 
and  with  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  administered  the  commun- 
ion to  101  persons.  Mr.  S.  states  that  there  were  be- 
sides these  over  600  persons  inside  and  outside  the 
church,  but  he  fails  to  state  which  one  of  the  two 
churches  it  was.  He  also  states  that  the  congregation 
numbered  almost  500  souls  or  200  families. 

Another  Reformed  church  organized  at  an  early 
date  in  the  Tulpehocken  region  is  the  well-known 
Hain's  church,  near  Wernersville.  It  is  stated  that 
the  organization  was  effected  in  the  nearby  dwelling 
house  of  Conrad  Kershner,  the  ancestor  of  the  present 
pastor,  Rev.  W.  J.  Kershner.  The  second  house  on 
the  Kershner  farm  was  erected  in  1755,  and  is  still 
standing.  It  is  a  most  substantial  stone  building, 
whose  chimney  above  the  roof  is  five  feet  wide.  The 
first  church  here  was  erected  in  1730  by  Reformed 
Palatines  on  five  acres  of  land,  which  was  donated  by 
George  Hain,  by  whose  name  the  church  is  still  known, 
although  the  proper  name  is  St.  John's.  The  congre- 
gation never  received  a  deed  for  the  five  acres  of 
ground.  The  first  church  was  used  as  a  fort  for  the 
protection  of  the  people  against  the  Indians,  who  were 
numerous  in  the  region.  During  the  Indian  war  the 
people  took  their  arms  with  them   to   the   church,   and 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  33 

whilst  some  of  them  were  at  worship  inside,  others 
stood  on  guard  outside.  The  church  was  also  used  for 
school  purposes.  The  Hain  church  was  from  the  be- 
ginning exckisively  Reformed,  and  has  ever  remained  so. 

The  Reading  Reformed  people  erected  their  first 
church  in  1755.  It  was  a  small  log  church,  and  at 
first  it  contained  neither  floor  nor  stove.  There  was  a 
little  belfry  containing  a  bell,  which  was  rung  on  the 
outside  by  means  of  a  rope.  Here  the  people  sat  on 
rude  benches  and  listened  to  long  sermons. 

In  Lebanon  county  Conrad  Tempelman,  a  pious 
tailor,  preached  in  his  own  humble  home  near  Corn- 
wall and  many  other  places  without  ordination  from 
1727  until  1751,  when  upon  the  recommendation  of 
Mr.  Schlatter  he  was  ordained.  Like  Mr.  Boelim  he 
did  this  because  of  the  importunity  of  the  people,  Avho 
were  eager  for  God's  word,  but  had  no  ordained  minis- 
ters. In  1744  the  Reformed  people  united  with  the 
Lutherans  in  erecting  a  small  log  church  at  a  place 
ever  since  known  as  Hill  church,  four  miles  west  of 
Lebanon,  Pa.  It  could  not  be  completed  for  a  long 
time,  and  at  first  the  people  sat  on  rude  logs  during 
w^orship.  As  at  Hain's  church,  some  of  the  members 
stood  guard  on  the  outside  against  the  Indians,  whilst 
the  others  worshiped  inside.  Conrad  Tempelman  min- 
istered to  the  Reformed  people. 

In  1739  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  reported  that  there  was 
not  in  the  whole  country  among  the  Reformed  people  a 
parsonage  or  a  house  for  a  schoolmaster. 

The  list  of  primitive  churches  might  be  continued, 
but  space  forbids.     The  instances  cited  are  sufficient  to 


34  EARLY    HISTORY 

show  US  the  spiritual  destitution  of  the  people  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Church  in  Pennsylvania.  They  were 
truly,  Mr.  Schlatter  says,  like  sheep  without  a  shep- 
herd. Mr.  Boehm  in  his  reports  shows  that  his  heart 
was  distressed  as  he  looked  upon  them  in  their  need. 
Both  he  and  Schlatter  pleaded  earnestly  for  them  with 
the  Fathers  in  Holland,  and  those  godly  people  across 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  took  pity  upon  their  brethren  in 
the  new  world,  and  sent  them  aid.  As  we  read  about 
the  destitution  of  our  fathers  we  should  learn  to  more 
fully  appreciate  our  great  blessings.  This  is  really  one 
of  the  motives  for  penning  these  lines. 

In  his  earnest  appeal  to  the  people  of  Holland  for 
aid  in  1751  Mr.  Schlatter  stated  that  he  had  visited  46 
congregations  and  did  all  he  could  to  supply  them  with 
preaching.  Ofthe46,  32  were  still  without  regular 
ministrations,  and  were  served  only  occasionally,  us- 
ually twice  a  year.  Only  12  had  regular  ministers. 
Two  were  supplied  by  lay  readers.  Besides  these  there 
were  a  number  of  other  congregations  which  Schlatter 
had  not  yet  visited.  He  stated  that  many  people  bear- 
ing the  name  Reformed  were  in  danger  of  falling  into 
a  new  heatiienism  and  becoming  like  the  Indians,  or 
worse.  Most  lamentable  of  all  he  denominates  the 
condition  of  the  children,  who  were  without  instruction 
or  care,  and  were*  '^  growing  up  as  for  hell."  Many 
people  were  without  schools,  and  had  no  money  to 
secure  Bibles  or  other  books. 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  35 


6. 

TWO  EARLY  LAY  PREACHERS. 

It  is  an  ioterestiog  fact  that  the  foundatioDs  for  the 
Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvaoia  were  laid  by  two 
lay  preachers — men  who  had  not  been  ordained  to  the 
ministry — John  Philip  Boehm  and  Conrad  Tempel- 
man.  Both  commenced  to  preach  at  about  the  same 
time,  in  1725,  and  both  did  it  for  the  same  reason — 
because  the  people  implored  them  to  do  this  in  the 
absence  of  regularly  ordained  ministers.  Mr.  Boehm 
commenced  to  preach  in  Montgomery  county,  whilst 
Mr.  Tempelman  did  so  in  Lebanon  county.  Mr. 
Boehm  was  a  schoolmaster  by  profession  and  Mr.  Tem- 
pelman was  a  tailor  by  occupation.  Both  were  pious 
men,  and  did  much  good.  They  led  the  people  in  wor- 
ship and  explained  the  word  of  God  to  them  until  or- 
dained ministers  came  here.  Both  were  later  ordained, 
and  continued  in  the  good  work  until  death. 

John  Philip  Boehm  was  the  son  of  a  Reformed  min- 
ister, and  was  born  at  Hochstadt,  Germany.  He  was 
baptized  on  Nov.  25,  1683.  He  chose  teaching  as  his 
profession.  He  came  to  America  about  the  year  1720. 
and  settled  in  Montgomery  county.  He  was  well  edu- 
cated and  pious.  During  several  years  he  served  the 
people  as  a  reader  and  conducted  services  for  them. 
During  five  years  the  people  urged  him  to  enter  fully 


36  EARLY    HISTORY 

upon  the  ministry,  but  lie  declined.  Finally  they  en- 
treated him  with  tears  to  become  their  pastor.  He  fin- 
ally consented,  ^'  protesting  before  God  that  he  could 
not  justify  his  refusal  of  so  necessary  a  work.'^  He 
commenced  to  preach  regularly  in  1725,  and  adminis- 
tered the  commmunion  for  the  first  time  on  October 
15,  1725,  at  Falkner  Swamp  to  40  members;  in  No- 
vember at  Skippack  to  37  members,  and  on  December 
23,  1725,  at  White  Marsh  to  24  members.  Mr.  Boehm 
preached  as  a  layman  from  1725  until  November  23, 
1729,  when  he  was  ordained  by  a  committee  of  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Church  in  New  York.  He  continued 
his  labors  and  preached  faithfully  until  April  30,  1749, 
when  he  suddenly  died  at  Egypt,  Lehigh  county, 
whither  he  had  gone  to  administer  the  communion,  in 
his  sixty-sixth  year.  He  was  buried  under  the  pulpit 
of  Boehm's  church  in  Montgomery  county,  whose  con- 
gregation he  had  organized  about  the  year  1740.  It 
was  largely  due  to  the  firm  stand  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm 
that  the  Reformed  people  were  not  absorbed  by  the 
Moravian  Church  by  means  of  the  movement  inaugu- 
rated by  Count  Zinzendorf  in  1741.  Mr.  Boehm  is- 
sued two  letters  of  warning  to  the  Reformed  people 
against  the  movement,  one  bearing  date  of  August  23, 
1742,  and  the  other  bearing  date  of  May  19,  1743.  A 
number  of  Reformed  ministers  were  drawn  into  the 
movement,  but  Mr.  Boehm  stood  firm  in  favor  of  the 
old  Reformed  doctrines  and  position. 

Conrad  Tempelman  was  born  at  Weinheim  in  the 
Palatinate,  Germany,  March  22,  1692.  He  was  a 
tailor  by  occupation,  and  worked  at  this   trade   in  the 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH. 


37 


city  of  Heidelberg.  He  came  to  America  about  the 
year  1721^  and  located  several  miles  >outh  of  Lebanou, 
where  he  took  up  200  acres  of  land.  The  place  is  still 
known  as  Tempelman  Hill.  Some  years  ago  a  chapel 
was  erected  at  the  place,  and  in  1888  a  Reformed  con- 
gregation was  organized  in  it.  The  small  flock  is  now 
being  supplied  by  Rev.  A.  J.  Bachman.  Mr.  Tempel- 
man commenced  preaching  about  the  same  time  as 
Rev.  Mr.  Boehm,  in  the  year  1725.  He  did  this  be- 
cause the  people  had  no  regular  minister,  and  appealed 
to  him,  as  did  others  to  Mr.  Boehm.  He  preached  at 
many  places  in  Leb- 
anon and  Lancaster 
counties.  In  June 
of  1747  Rev.  Mich- 
ael Schlatter  admin- 
istered the  commun- 
ion at  Muddy  Creek, 
Lancaster  county, 

and     met     Mr.    Tem-  Mp.   rempelman's  Home. 

pelman  there.  After  administering  the  communion 
Schlatter  asked  Tempelman  *to  preach  a  thanksgiving 
sermon,  which  he  did,  and  Schlatter  was  so  much 
pleased  with  it  that  he  recommended  that  Mr.  Tempel- 
man should  be  ordained.  Schlatter  wrote  to  the  Fath- 
ers in  Holland  for  permission,  and  Mr.  Tempelman 
was  ordained  in  1751,  at  the  age  of  59  years,  after  he 
had  preached  about  twenty-six  years  as  a  layman.  He 
continued  to  preach  until  near  his  end.  In  1757  he 
became  blind,  but  continued  to  preach  in  a  few  churches 
and  in  his  own  house      He    had    to    be    led    into    the 


38  EARLY    HISTORY 

church  and  into  the  pulpit.  He  died  about  the  year 
1761,  at  the  age  of  69  years,  and  was  buried  near  his 
home. 

The  life  and  work  of  these  two  lay  preachers, 
Boehm  and  Tempelman,  are  worthy  of  the  highest  com- 
mendation. They  did  what  they  could  to  relieve  the 
great  spiritual  want  of  the  people.  They  did  not  enter 
rashly  upon  the  work  of  the  ministry,  but  solely  because 
of  the  importunity  of  the  people. 


OF    THE    EEFOEMED    CHUECH.  39 


7. 

THE  FIRST  PASTORAL  CHARGE. 

The  oldest  Reformed  congregation  in  Pennsylvania 
is  the  one  known  as  Falkner  Swamp  in  the  northwest- 
ern part  of  Montgomery  county,  near  the  line  of  Berks. 
It  dates  back  to  1720,  and  is  the  oldest  Reformed  con- 
gregation with  a  continuous  history. 

The  Dutch  Reformed  preceded  the  German  Re- 
formed in  eastern  Pennsylvania.  They  settled  at  an 
early  date  in  New  Jersey.  Some  of  their  people 
crossed  the  Delaware  river  and  settled  in  Bucks  coun- 
ty, Pa.,  where  they  organized  a  Dutch  Reformed 
church  at  Neshaminy.  In  1710  Rev.  Paul  Van  Vlecq 
became  pastor  of  this  Dutch  church.  He  at  once  also 
began  to  preach  to  the  German  Reformed  located  in 
the  neighborhood.  On  May  29,  1710,  he  visited  Skip- 
pack  in  Montgomery  county,  and  baptizen  16  children. 
On  June  4  of  the  same  year  he  visited  White  Marsh 
and  organized  the  first  German  Reformed  congregation 
in  Pennsylvania.  He  ordained  two  elders  and  two 
deacons.  One  of  the  deacons  was  William  Dewees. 
In  1711  the  congregation  consisted  of  15  members. 
Rev.  Mr.  Van  Vlecq  remained  only  a  few  years  in 
the  region,  and  left  America  in  1715.  After  his  de- 
parture the  congregation  at  White  Marsh  became  ex- 
tinct.    In  1725  the  congregation   was    reorganized  by 


40  EARLY    HISTORY 

Rev.  J.  P.  Boehm,  with  Mr.  William  Dewees  as  one 
of  the  consistory.  This  congregation  never  had  a 
church.  The  services  were  held  in  the  house  of  Mr. 
Dewees.  He  was  an  excellent,  pious  man.  In  1710 
he  with  Henry  Antes  established  the  second  paper  mill 
in  this  country  on  the  west  side  of  the  Wissahickon 
creek.  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  reported  in  1744  that  the 
people  at  White  Marsh  had  as  yet  no  church,  but  dur- 
ing all  these  years  since  the  beginning  had  held  their 
services  in  the  house  of  Elder  Wm.  Dewees  without 
charge.  Of  him  Mr.  Boehm  says  :  ''  That  honest  man 
cherishes  a  steadfast  and  pious  hope  that  God  will  yet 
furnish  means  for  a  church."  But  his  wish  was  not 
fulfilled.  After  Mr.  Dewees'  death  the  congregation 
was  again  dissolved,  and  the  members  united  with  the 
congregations  at  Witpen  (now  Boehm's)  and  German- 
town.  After  1800  the  congregation  in  White  Marsh 
was  once  more  revived,  and  is  now  located  at  Fort 
Washington,  with  Rev.  C.  A.  Santee  as  pastor. 

The  congregation  at  Falkner  Swamp  was  organized 
in  1720,  and  its  history  was  not  interrupted  to  this 
day.  The  Frankfort  Company  purchased  22,377 
acres  of  land  from  William  Penn  in  what  is  now  the 
northern  part  of  Montgomery  and  the  southern  part  of 
Berks  county.  This  tract  extended  from  the  Schuyl- 
kill river  to  Pennsburg.  In  the  year  1700  Daniel 
Falkner  was  made  one  of  the  company's  agents  to  sell 
this  land  to  settlers.  The  region  south  of  Boyertown 
was  largely  meadow  land,  and  the  district  received  the 
name  Falkner's  Swamp,  by  which  it  is  still  known. 
The  congregation   was  always    exclusively    Reformed. 


OF    THE    REFOEMED    CHUP.CH. 


41 


Its  first  church  was  erected  between  1739  and  1743, 
according  to  the  reports  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm,  the  first 
pastor.  It  was  a  frame  building,  the  first  one  of  that 
kind  we  read  of  up  to  that  time.  There  was  a  debt  of 
60  pounds  resting  upon  it. 

The  congregation  at  Skippack  was  organized,   as  is 
supposed,    in    the  same  year   as    the    one  in    Falkuer 


Present  Falknep  Swamp  Chupeh 

Swamp,  in  1720.  According  to  the  report  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Boehm  of  1739,  a  log  church  was  erected  about  1727, 
after  the  people  had  worshiped  and  Rev.  J.  P.  Boehm 
had  preached  to  them  in  private  houses  during  seven 
years.  The  church  was  dedicated  June  22, 1729.  Sin- 
gularly and  unfortunately  Jacob  ReifF,  one  of  the  mem- 
4 


42  EARLY   HISTORY 

bers,  had  the  lot  upon  which  ^the  church  was  erected 
transferred  to  his  name.  This  led  to  strife  and  confusion, 
and  eventually  to  the  dissolution  of  the  congregation. 
Mr.  ReifF  locked  the  church  against  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm, 
the  regular  pastor.  Each  had  his  friends,  and  there 
were  two  parties.  Mr.  Reiff  had  made  a  journey  to 
Europe  in  1730  with  Rev.  G.  M.  Weiss  to  collect 
money  for  the  congregations  at  Skippack  and  Philadel- 
phia. Upon  his  return  in  1732  he  refused  to  render 
an  account  of  his  collections,  and  this  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  trouble.  Reiff  permitted  other  ministers  to 
preach  in  the  church  on  his  land.  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm 
was  compelled  to  reorganize  the  congregation  and  to 
purchase  some  land  a  short  distance  south  of  Skippack, 
upon  which  about  1762  the  first  Wentz  church  was 
erected.  The  log  church  at  Skippack  stood  a  short 
distance  east  of  the  place.  It  was  demolished  in  1760. 
The  graveyard  was  not  kept  up,  and  the  ground  under 
which  the  first  settlers  are  resting  is  now  farm  land. 

These  three  congregations.  White  Marsh,  Falkner 
Swamp  and  Skippack,  composed  the  original  pastoral 
charge  of  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm  when  he  entered 
upon  his  ministry  in  1725,  at  the  earnest  request  of 
the  people.  But  his  labors  were  not  long  confined  to 
these  congregations.  His  ministrations  were  soon  de- 
manded from  all  directions,  and  he  preached  at  many 
points — Philadelphia,  Tulpehocken,  Cocalico,  Cone- 
stoga,  etc. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  43 


EARLY  CHURCHES. 

Dariug  a  number  of  years  the  first  Reformed  con- 
gregations had  no  churches.  They  worshiped  in  pri- 
vate houses,  because  they  were  unable  to  erect  churches. 
This  applies  particularly  to  the  congregations  at  Falk- 
ner  Swamp,  Skippack,  White  Marsh,  Philadelphia, 
Lancaster,  etc.  The  people  could  not  even  pay  any 
considerable  amount  for  the  support  of  pastors.  The 
three  former  congregations  were  organized  between 
1720  and  1725,  but  in  1730  only  Skippack  had  a 
church,  and  this  one  was  locked  against  the  regular 
congregation.  In  this  year  the  consistories  appealed  to 
the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  for  aid.  They  say  that  there 
should  be  a  church  for  each  congregation.  When 
churches  were  erected  later,  oppressive  debts  were  in- 
curred in  connection  with  some  of  them. 

With  few  exceptions  all  of  the  first  churches  in 
Pennsylvania  were  log  buildings.  It  was  most  natu- 
ral that  they  should  be  erected  of  such  material,  be- 
cause logs  were  plenty.  They  were  about  the  only 
thing  of  which  the  early  settlers  had  plenty.  Natu- 
rally these  first  churches  were  small.  Large  buildings 
were  not  needed.  The  membership  was  small.  In 
1728  the  representatives  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm's  first 
charge  in  their  appeal  to    the   Classis   of  Amsterdam 


44  E.\RLY    H [STORY 

state  that  the  membership  of  Falkner  Swamp  was  odIj 
24  males,  Skippack  20  and  White  Marsh  14,  and  these 
were  scattered  over  a  territory  of  over  sixty  miles. 
The  churches  were  not  only  small,  but  also  uncomfort- 
able, but  the  people  were  satisfied,  only  so  they  had  a 
place  of  worship. 

The  church  in  Philadelphia  was  opened  for  wor- 
ship in  December,  1746,  but  it  had  as  yet  no  windows 
and  was  not  yet  plastered.  In  this  open,  unheated 
building  the  people  sat  and  listened  to  long  sermons. 
The  church  was  octagonal  in  form,  that  is,  it  had  six 
corners.  The  preachers  in  this  church  were  Revs. 
Michael  Schlatter,  John  C.  Steiner,  W.  H.  Stoy,  Fred. 
Rothenbiihler,  Casper  Weyberg  and  others.  The  church 
was  surmounted  by  a  weather-vane  in  the  form  of  a 
rooster. 

In  the  Hill  church,  near  Lebanon,  the  people  for  a 
number  of  years  sat  upon  rude  logs  in  an  unfinished 
church  to  worship  God.  Afterwards,  during  the  In- 
dian war,  some  of  the  members  stood  guard  on  the 
outside,  whilst  others  were  worshiping  inside. 

The  first  church  at  Falkner  Swamp,  the  oldest  con- 
gregation in  continued  existence,  was  a  frame  building, 
erected  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1740,  although  the 
congregation  had  been  started  in  1720.  And  when  the 
church  had  been  erected,  there  was  a  debt  of  60  pounds 
on  hand. 

The  Reformed  congregation  in  Lancaster  had  an 
organization  in  1727.  Rev.  J.  P.  Boehm  administered 
the  first  communion  there  on  Oct.  15,  1727,  to  59  per- 
sons.    The  first  log  church  was  erected  in  1736. 


OF    THE    EEFOEMED    CHURCH.  45 

The  first  church  Id  Reading  was  a  small  log  build- 
ing.  In  the  beginning  there  was  neither  floor  nor 
stove  in  the  church.  There  was  a  small  bell  above  the 
roof,  which  was  rung  by  means  of  a  rope  from  the 
outside.  The  little  church  was  erected  in  1755,  and 
used  until  1761,  when  a  much  larger  stone  church  was 
erected.  In  this  little  log  church  Rev.  Philip  J. 
Michael,  W.  H.  Stoy,  John  Waldschmid  and  other 
early  ministers  preached. 

The  early  churches  were  not  erected  after  any  par- 
ticular style  of  architecture,  any  more  than  the  homes 


Fipst  Church  in  Reading. 

of  the  settlers.  The  latter  were  the  plainest  kind  of  log 
huts,  and  the  churches  were  not  very  much  differ- 
ent. It  would  be  quite  interesting  to  see  some  inside 
views  of  these  early  churches,  but  none  are  in  exist- 
ence. The  inside  finish  was  of  course  of  the  most  prim- 
itive kind.  Instead  of  pews  there  were  benches.  The 
pulpit  was  of  course  of  the  plainest  kind  also.  The 
later  churches  had  so-called  wine-glass  pulpits — that 
is,  the  pulpits  stood  upon  pedestals  and  had  the  general 
form  of  a  goblet,  with  sounding  boards  above  them. 

"  Goblet-formed,  half  up  the  wall, 
The  sounding-board  above,  with  acorn  crowned." 


46  EARLY   HISTORY 

There  was  room  in  them  for  only  one  man,  and  there 
were  narrow  stairways  leading  into  them.  The  altars 
and  chancel  railings  were  also  small  and  very  plain. 
Some  of  these  later  churches  were  finely  finished,  that 
is,  for  those  times.  Thus  the  second  church  in  Read- 
ing, erected  in  1761,  is  said  to  have  had  much  wood 
carving  in  its  finishing. 

Nearly  all  the  early  Reformed  churches  were  sur- 
mounted by  weather-vanes  having  the  form  of  roost- 
ers. Such  was  the  case  of  the  first  churches  in  Phila- 
delphia, Reading,  Oley,  Hain's,  etc.  This  form  of 
weather-vane  was  borrowed  from  Holland.  It  was 
generally  used  by  Reformed  churches  in  that  country, 
and  was  introduced  here  because  of  the  supervision  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  Holland  over  the  churches  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  rooster  weather-vane  of  the  second 
Oley  church,  erected  in  1754,  is  still  in  possession  of 
the  congregation.  It  contained  the  names  of  the  build- 
ing committee — John  Lesher  (wdio  had  donated  the 
land  in  1734),  Casper  Griesemer  and  Gabriel  Boyer. — 
Because  of  the  rooster  weather-vane  on  top  of  Hain's 
church,  erected  in  1730,  the  church  was  often  called 
^'  the  rooster  church.'' — The  weather-vane  on  the  church 
in  Reading  was  the  cause  of  a  ludicrous  incident.  On 
one  occasion  two  ladies  were  passing  along  Washing- 
ton street.  One  of  them  was  superstitions.  When 
opposite  the  Reformed  church  she  was  somewhat  agi- 
tated and  said  to  her  companion  :  '^  They  say  that 
when  that  rooster  on  the  church  once  crows,  the  world 
will  come  to  an  end."  But  the  rooster  never  crowed, 
and  the  w^orld  still  stands. 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  47 

Some  of  the  first  churches  had  bells,  others  not.  Id 
1746  the  congregation  at  Lancaster  purchased  a  bell 
and  a  clock  for  60  pounds,  and  erected  a  steeple.  It 
took  some  time  to  erect  the  steeple,  and  meanwhile  the 
bell  was  hung  upon  a  hickory  tree  near  Centre  square, 
and  rung  there  for  service  until  the  steeple  w^as  com- 
pleted. It  U  claimed  that  the  tree  was  the  one  under 
which  the  Indians  held  a  council.  There  is  a  tradition 
that  during  the  Indian  troubles  between  1755  and 
1762  when  on  one  occasion  the  hostile  Indians  ap- 
proached "  Hickorytown,'^  as  Lancaster  was  originally 
called,  a  woman  rushed  into  the  Reformed  church  and 
rang  the  bell,  which  gave  the  alarm  to  the  people. 

In  tlie  steeple  of  the  Reformed  church  at  Boyer- 
town  hangs  the  old  bell  wdiich  was  cast  in  England  in 
1763,  and  used  on  the  first  court  house  in  Reading 
until  1841.  It  is  not  now^  in  use,  but  kept  as  a  sacred 
relic  of  the  past. 

During  the  American  Revolution  a  number  of  Re- 
formed churches  were  taken  possession  of  by  the  au- 
thorities and  used  as  hospitals,  such  as  those  in  Phila- 
delphia, Reading,  Easton,  Boehm's  in  Montgomery 
county,  Vincent  in  Chester  county  and  other  places. 
The  church  in  Reading  thus  used  was  the  stone  church 
building  erected  in  1761,  being  the  second  house  of 
worship  of  the  congregation.  The  Reformed  church  in 
Easton  was  erected  in  1776,  the  second  year  of  the 
great  struggle.  This  church  is  still  standing,  and  is 
the  oldest  public  building  in  Easton.  It  is  the  only 
Reformed  church  used  as  a  hospital  still  standing. 

There  were  no  regular  hospitals  at  the  time,  and 
there  was  much  suffering  among  the  wounded  and  sick 


48  EARLY    HISTORY 

soldiers.  A  considerable  number  of  soldiers  died  in 
the  Reformed  churches,  and  were  buried  in  the  grave- 
yards attached,  the  burial  services  being  conducted  by 
the  Reformed  pastors.  Churches  of  other  denomina- 
tions were  used  in  the  same  way.  There  were  three 
churches  in  Reading — Reformed,  Lutheran  and  Qua- 
ker— and  all  were  used  as  hospitals.  Naturally  the 
churches  were  considerably  injured,  but  there  was  no 
complaint  made,  because  the  people  were  willing  to 
make  sacrifices  for  the  cause  of  their  country.  The 
people  of  the  towns  also  aided  in  nursing  the  sick  and 
wounded. 

Whilst  the  churches  named,  with  some  others,  were 
used  as  hospitals,  the  Reformed  church  at  German- 
town  was  used  as  a  prison  by  the  British  during  the 
battle  there  on  October  4,  1777.  A  number  of  Vir- 
ginians who  had  been  captured  in  battle  were  confined 
in  the  church. 

One  of  the  remarkable  facts  in  connection  with  the 
location  of  the  early  churches  is  that  with  rare  excep- 
tions none  of  them  became  centers  of  population.  The 
present  churches  stand  isolated  in  the  country  as  did 
the  first  houses  of  worship.  Only  in  a  few  instances 
did  villages  spring  up  around  them.  This  appears 
strange.  We  cite  the  following  instances  of  isolated 
churches — Falkner  Swamp,  Wentz's,  BoehmV,  New 
and  Old  Goshenhoppen  and  Indian  Creek  in  Mont- 
gomery county ;  Host,  Hain's,  North  Heidelberg,  Blue 
Mountain,  Bethel,  Belleman's,  Bern,  Alsace,  St.  Pe- 
ter's, Maxatawny,  Longswamp,  Hill,  Oley,  Allegheny 
and  Robeson  in  Berks  county  ;   Tulpehocken,  Swatara, 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  49 

Hill  and  Miihlbach  in  Lebaoou  county  ;  Bethany,  Hel- 
ler^s,  Muddy  Creek,  Swamp  and  Kissel  Hill  in  Lancas- 
ter county  ;  Lehigh,  Salisbury,  Heidelberg,  Ziegel,  Old 
Lynntown,  Egypt,  etc.,  in  Lehigh  county  ;  Dryland, 
Petersville,  Plainfield,  etc.,  in  Northampton  county. 


50  EARLY    HISTORY 


9. 

EARLY  CHURCH  DEBTS. 

Church  debts  are  not  a  modern  thing.  There  were 
heavy  debts  resting  upon  the  little  log  and  frame 
churches  erected  in  eastern  Pennsylvania  before  1750. 
But  the  difference  between  those  early  debts  and  many 
of  those  of  our  day  is  that  then  the  people  were  all 
quite  poor  and  really  could  not  pay  as  they  went, 
whilst  many  church  debts  of  the  present  time  are  the 
result  of  spiritual  pride  and  vanity.  The  people  150 
years  ago  and  before  that  time  had  no  markets  and 
practically  no  income.  Now  things  are  different.  Now 
congregations  vie  with  each  other  in  erecting  elaborate 
churches,  and  then  mortgage  the  bene  violence  of  a 
whole  generation  to  pay  them.  One  of  the  leading 
motives  in  this  extravagance  is  the  fact  that  others  do 
the  same. 

These  remarks  do  not  apply  to  small  and  jioor  con- 
gregations which  naturally  must  build  for  the  future. 
There  are  still  some  instances  that  are  largely  similar 
to  those  of  early  times,  and  moderate  church  debts  are 
justifiable. 

Let  us  refer  to  some  instances  of  early  church 
debts.  We  may  learn  something  from  them.  We 
should  learn  to  appreciate  the  struggles  of  our  fathers 
to  establish  the   Reformed  Church    in    this   then   new 


OF   THE   REFORMED    CHURCH.  51 

country.  Most  o^  the  early  settlers  in  the  Rhine  coun- 
try formerly  had  comfortable  houses  of  worship,  but 
these  were  in  many  instances  destroyed  by  the  religious 
wars  which  cursed  the  beautiful  Rhine  country.  Many 
of  their  homes  had  also  been  destroyed.  With  sad 
hearts  they  left  the  homes  of  their  birth  and  settled  in 
this  new  western  world.  Here  they  had  to  make  a 
new  beginning  in  everything.  First  of  all  they  had  to 
erect  little  log  cabins  to  shelter  their  families.  For  a 
considerable  time  they  could  not  have  any  churches. 
Before  1700  there  was  not  a  single  house  of  worship  in 
Berks  county.  For  a  long  time  the  people  met  in 
private  houses  and  barns  for  worship. 

Gradually  the  people  erected  churches,  but  in  many 
instances  debts  were  left  to  rest  upon  them.  Revs. 
Boehm  and  Schlatter  tell  us  about  some  of  these  early 
church  debts. 

In  1744  Mr.  Boehm  reports  that  the  people  at  Falk- 
ner  Swamp  had  erected  a  frame  church,  but  owed  nearly 
60  pounds  upon  it,  or  about  §160  in  Pennsylvania 
money.  That  was  a  considerable  debt  for  the  people 
at  that  time. 

The  first  Reformed  church  in  Philadelphia  was  com- 
menced in  1745.  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  laid  the  corner- 
stone. In  1748  he  says  that  the  church  was  erected 
upon  a  beautiful,  but  also  very  expensive  lot,  for  which 
the  money  had  been  borrowed.  The  work  proceeded 
very  slowly  for  the  lack  of  money.  Presently  Rev. 
Mr.  Schlatter  was  made  pastor,  and  then  the  work  was 
pushed  rapidly  and  a  large  debt  incurred.  When  the 
church  was  completed  the  whole  debt  amounted  to  over 


52  EARLY    HISTORY 

600  pounds,  besides  their  own  contributions.  When 
tlie  debt  had  become  burdensome  the  people  blamed 
Mr.  Schlatter  for  it.  I'hey  claimed  that  he  had  directed 
the  work  and  promised  to  write  to  Switzerland  and 
elsewhere  for  money,  but  no  money  came,  and  the  peo- 
ple were  in  a  tight  place.  Church  debts  in  those  days 
were  a  more  serious  matter  than  such  are  now,  because 
people  could  be  imprisoned  for  debt.  (See  next  para- 
graph.) In  1750,  at  the  time  of  th  •  split  of  the  con- 
gregation into  the  Schlatter  and  Steiner  factions,  the 
debt  was  800  pounds.  The  contest  was  decided  in 
favor  of  the  Schlatter  party,  which  had  to  pay  the 
debt.     It  had  become  a  heavy  burden. 

One  of  the  early  pastors  of  the  Philadelphia  congre- 
gation was  Rev.  Fred.  Rothenbiihler,  who  was  called 
in  July  of  1762.  But  he  was  intemperate,  and  soon 
there  was  trouble.  The  consistory,  after  securing  evi- 
dence, resolved  to  dismiss  him.  He  had  some  friends 
who  withdrew  with  him,  and  organized  a  new  congre- 
gation. They  erected  a  church  on  Fourth  street,  the 
cost  of  which  far  exceeded  their  expectations.  In  con- 
sequence of  a  large  debt  a  number  of  the  members 
were  thrown  into  prison.  When  their  friends,  looking 
through  the  windows,  inquired  why  they  had  been  put 
to  jail,  they  simply  replied  :  '^  For  building  a  church." 
To  go  to  jail  for  building  a  church  became  a  proverb 
in  the  city.  It  would  probably  be  well  if  there  were 
some  law  now  to  restrain  people  from  building  expen- 
sive churches  and  going  deeply  into  debt. 

Tlie  first  church  of  the  Boehm  congregation  in 
Montgomery  county  is  supposed  to  have  been  erected 


OF    THE    BEFORMED    CHURCH.  53 

in  1740.  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  had  during  a  number  of 
years  preached  in  his  own  house  nearby.  The  place 
was  then  called  Whitpen.  Mr.  Boehm  reports  that 
the  church  was  27  feet  wide  and  30  feet  long.  It 
could  not  be  completed  for  years  for  the  lack  of  money. 
Mr.  B.  had  collected  40  pounds  for  this  purpose,  but 
the  church  uncompleted  had  cost  70  pounds,  and  more 
than  50  pounds  more  was  needed  to  finish  it.  Mr. 
Boehm  says  :  ''  We  will  use  the  church  as  it  is,  as  we 
have  done  all  summer,  and  sit  on  the  floor  and  wooden 
benches  rather  than  make  debts  ;  for  if  we  should  make 
debts  I  would  have  to  suifer  for  it.'^  Many  a  pastor 
of  the  present  day  knows  what  the  latter  sentence 
means  When  church  debts  begin  to  press  the  mem- 
bers, the  pastor  is  the  first  one  to  feel  it.  The  interest 
must  be  paid,  and  then  the  pastor's  salary  is  not  paid 
regularly. 

The  first  church  at  Host,  Berks  county,  was  a  frame 
building,  with  a  debt  of  60  pounds  upon  it.  Christ 
Tulpehocken  church  had  a  debt  of  30  pounds   upon  it. 

The  first  Reformed  church  in  Reading  was  erected 
in  1755.  It  was  a  small  log  building.  It  is  said  that 
there  was  neither  stove  nor  floor  in  it.  It  was  used 
only  six  years.  In  1761  a  stone  church  of  consider- 
able size  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  §1300.  This 
caused  a  considerable  debt.  The  church  was  not  fin- 
ished inside.  The  walls  were  left  bare.  The  debt  was 
paid  in  1775,  when  the  church  was  completed  and  an- 
other debt  incurred,  which  was  not  fully  paid  until  1814. 

Other  instances  could  be  cited,  but  it  would  only  be 
a  repetition  of  the  same  story.     The  people   then    did 


64  EA.RLY    HISTORY 

what  they  could,  but  they  simply  did  not  possess  the 
means  to  erect  churches  and  pay  for  them.  But  they 
had  a  zeal  for  the  house  of  God.  There  was  no  extrav- 
agance in  building  churches.  People  were  glad  if  they 
could  erect  plain  houses  of  worship. 


OF  THE  EEFORMED  CHUKCH.  55 


10. 
FIRST  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  REFORMED  CHURCH. 

In  receut  years  the  Reformed  Church  has  spent 
much  time  and  money  in  the  effort  to  adopt  a  new  con- 
stitution in  place  of  the  one  hitherto  in  force,  which 
was  adopted  in  the  year  1846,  over  fifty  years  ago.  It 
win  be  interesting  to  read  about  the  first  constitution 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  this  country. 

In  1725  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm,  one  of  the  first  Re- 
formed ministers  in  Pennsylvania,  commenced  his  min- 
istry. In  this  year  he  formulated  a  constitution.  This 
instrument  was  approved  by  all  the  elders  and  the 
three  congregations  then  constituting  his  pastoral 
charge — Falkner  Swamp,  Skippack  and  White  Marsh. 
It  was  revised  by  the  three  Dutch  Reformed  ministers 
of  New  York  who  had  ordained  Mr.  Boehm — Revs., 
George  DuBois,  Vincent  Antonides  and  Henry  Boel. 
It  was  then  sent  to  the  Fathers  in  Holland  and  ap- 
proved by  them.  This  constitution  was  then  adopted 
by  a  number  of  other  congregations  in  Pennsylvania — 
Conestoga  and  Tulpehocken  in  1727,  Philadelphia  in 
1734,  and  Oley  in  1736.  (Goshenhoppen  and  Ger- 
mantown  refused  because  they  were  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  opponents  of  Boehm.) 

After  the  Coetus  had  been  organized,  Boehm's  con- 
stitution was  read  and  carefully  considered  at  the  sec- 


56  EARLY    HISTORY 

oncl  meeting  of  that  body  io  1748.  It  was  adopted  by 
the  Coetus  as  the  coostitution  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  the  Unittd  States. 

Originally  the  constitution  was  framed  for  the  use 
of  the  Falkner  Swamp,  Skippack  and  White  Marsh 
congregations,  the  only  ones  in  existence  in  1725,  and 
these  constituted  the  pastoral  charge  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Boehm.  We  herewith  publish  a  synopsis  of  the  con- 
stitution : 

The  elders  and  deacons  then  iu  office  were  recog- 
nized and  served  out  their  terms,  when  new  ones  were 
to  be  elected.  The  names  of  persons  elected  to  the 
consistory  shall  be  announced  in  church  tiiree  succes- 
sive Sundays,  to  afford  an  opportunity  to  present  law- 
ful objections.  If  no  objections  are  presented  they 
shall  be  installed. 

The  sacrament  of  baptism  shall  be  administered 
without  fee  after  divine  service.  Besides  the  parents 
witnesses  shall  be  present.  These  shall  be  persons 
who  have  professed  the  pure  doctrine  of  the  gospel, 
and  whose  lives  are  blameless. 

The  Holy  Supper  shall  be  administered  twice  a 
year  in  every  congregation.  No  one  shall  be  admitted 
thereto  unless  upon  confession  before  the  consistory, 
and  evidence  of  a  godly  life,  in  accordance  with  the 
Church  Order  of  the  Synod  of  Dort  of  1618  and  1619. 
All  the  members  shall  always  appear  at  the  prepara- 
tory sermon,  and  after  the  service  come  forward.  In 
case  they  become  careless  in  this  matter,  they  shall  be 
spoken  to  by  the  consistory.  All  the  members  may 
commune  in  each  of  the  three  congregations. 


OF   THE   EEFOEMED    CHUECH.  57 

The  bread  and  the  wine  for  the  Holy  Communion 
shall  always  be  bought  and  provided  by  the  deacons 
out  of  the  alms  that  have  been  collected,  and  afterward 
they  shall  give  a  faithful  account  of  the  same. 

To  meet  this  and  other  necessities  of  the  church  the 
alms  shall  always  be  gathered  by  the  deacons  w^hile  the 
congregation  leaves  the  church,  or  otherwise,  as  the 
consistory  may  direct. 

The  members  of  the  consistory,  whether  they  be 
elders  or  deacons,  to  whom  is  entrusted  the  church 
treasury  or  other  property,  shall  annually  render  before 
the  consistory  an  exact  account  of  their  stewardship. 
For  this  purpose  they  shall  keep  a  faithful  record  of 
all  receipts  and  expenditures,  and  w^hen  found  correct 
the  accounts  shall  be  signed  by  the  minister  and  an 
elder  in  behalf  of  all  as  approved. 

Should  a  member,  male  or  female,  fall  into  any  sin, 
he  shall  be  placed  under  the  supervision  of  the  consis- 
tory until  he  promise  and  give  evidence  of  amendment 
of  life. 

It  shall  be  the  office  and  duty  of  the  minister  to 
preach  the  pure  doctrine  of  the  Eeformed  Church  ac- 
cording to  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  administer  the  holy 
seals  of  the  Covenant  at  their  appointed  time  and 
place;  always  to  adhere  to  the  confession  of  faith  of 
the  Reformed  Church  and  to  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  ; 
to  explain  the  same  regularly  and  consecutively  ;  to 
hold  catechetical  instruction,  etc.  He  shall  give  spe- 
cial attention  to  chnrch  discipline  and  correct  practice, 
together  wdth  those  who  have  the  oversight  of  the  con- 
gregation . 
5 


58  EARLY    HISTORY 

He  shall  also  pray  in  the  public  congregation  jfor 
our  beloved  King,  the  King  of  Great  Britain,  and  for 
the  Government  of  this  country. 

Provision  is  made  for  the  discipline  of  unfaithful 
members.  The  constitution  cannot  be  changed  unless 
proposed  changes  are  submitted  to  the  Classis  of  Am- 
sterdam, and  by  it  approved. 

The  constitution  was  read  each  year  at  the  time  of 
the  installation  of  new  officers,  and  before  the  act  of 
installation  the  new  officers  were  required  to  sign  the 
constitution. 

As  a  whole  this  first  constitution  was  an  excellent 
instrument.  It  was  carefully  drawn  and  well  worded. 
It  is  one  of  many  evidences  that  the  author.  Rev.  Mr. 
Boehm,  who  at  the  time  of  formulating  it  in  1725  was 
not  yet  a  minister,  but  a  school  teacher,  was  a  man  of 
decided  ability  and  a  high  degree  of  common  sense. 

At  the  above  meeting  of  the  Coetus  in  1748  it  was 
resolved  to  publish  and  sell  the  constitution  (Church 
Order,  as  it  w^as  called).  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  was  asked 
to  superintend  this  work.  It  was  one  of  the  last  acts 
of  his  life,  for  he  died  before  the  meeting  of  the  next 
Coetus,  viz.,  on  April  29,  1749. 


OF    THE    REFOEMED    CHURCH.  59 


u. 

SCARCITY  OF  MINISTERS. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
Pennsylvania  there  was  a  great  scarcity  of  ministers, 
which  was  sad  and  painful.  Many  people  had  a  real 
hunger  for  the  Word  of  God  and  for  the  sacraments, 
but  there  was  in  many  places  no  one  to  minister  to 
them.  We  rarely  now  find  such  manifestations  of  a 
desire  for  the  Word  as  was  shown  then. 

In  his  report  of  1746  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  states  that 
most  of  the  people  hunger  and  thirst  after  faithful  min- 
isters of  God's  Word.  Mr.  Schlatter  says:  ^^I  have 
daily  at  my  house  people  who  come  from  far  away  and 
beg  me  to  come  and  help  them  to  organize.  I  have 
already  received  twelve  letters  from  small  and  large 
congregations,  of  whom  some  are  nearly  200  miles  dis- 
tant from  Philadelphia.  Yea,  there  have  already  been 
to  see  me  people  from  A^irginia,  nearly  300  and  more 
miles  from  here.''  These  people  asked  Mr.  Schlatter 
to  come  to  them.  They  stated  that  there  were  many 
fine  Reformed  people  in  Virginia,  who  would  gladly 
pay  a  minister,  but  they  could  get  none. 

Because  of  the  lack  of  ministers  the  people  were  in 
danger  of  being  led  astray  by  worthless  and  unfaithful 
persons  who  palmed  themselves  off  as  ministers.  The 
Moravians  made  great  efforts  to  draw  the  Reformed  to 


60  EARLY   HISTORY 

themselves,  and  they  succeeded  to  some  extent.  Mr. 
Schlatter  in  1746  states  that  of  those  who  had  gone  to 
the  Moravians  nearly  one  hundred  had  returned,  and 
none  were  leaving  the  Reformed  Church  any  more. 

In  December,  1746,  Mr.  Schlatter  wrote:  "A  few 
days  ago  a  man  named  John  Miller  came  to  me  and 
begged  me  with  tears  that  I  should  come  and  baptize 
his  wife  and  nine  children.  Four  weeks  ago  I  baptized 
four  and  three  weeks  ago  six.''  Mr.  S.  says  the  people 
were  ''as  sheep  without  shepherds."  He  thinks  they 
could  be  gathered  together  into  flocks  by  faithful  pas- 
tors and  diligent  school  teachers,  but  the  pastors  were 
not  to  be  had. 

The  labors  of  the  few  ministers  then  here  were 
very  hard.  There  was  much  more  snow  then  than 
now,  and  traveling  in  winter  was  very  difficult,  both 
on  account  of  the  snow  and  the  swollen  streams,  over 
which  there  were  no  bridges.  Ministers  had  to  travel 
on  horseback,  and  ford  the  streams  at  all  times.  There 
were  but  few  roads,  mostly  only  Indian  trails.  Schlat- 
ter says  the  ministers  should  live  among  their ,  people, 
because  otherwise  the  latter  could  get  but  little  service 
from  them  in  winter.  Besides,  the  ministers  would 
almost  "  fret  themselves  to  death"  because  they  could 
not  reach  the  people  in  winter. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  in  our  days  this 
same  argument  must  be  used — to  have  ministers  reside 
among  their  people.  But  it  cannot  be  said  that  ''  min- 
isters almost  fret  themselves  to  death  because  they  can- 
not reach  the  people,"  either  in  winter  or  summer. 

We  here  present  the  case  of  the  Reformed  people  of 
York,  Pa.,  as  an  example  of  the  scarcity  of  ministers 


OF    THE    REFOEMED    CHURCH.  61 

150  years  ago.  They  had  been  served  by  Rev.  Jacob 
Lishy,  but  they  had  lost  all  confidence  in  him  on  ac- 
count of  his  bad  character  and  his  affiliation  with  the 
Moravians.  He  still  had  some  adherents,  but  the 
great  majority  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  him.  In 
a  letter  to  the  Holland  Synod,  dated  April  25,  1754, 
the  people  state  their  lamentable  condition.  They  had 
repeatedly  implored  the  Coetus  for  a  minister,  but 
failed  to  secure  one.  Whilst  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  was 
in  Europe  in  1751  they  were  admonished  to  be  patient, 
since  it  was  expected  that  he  would  bring  some  minis- 
ters with  him.  When  he  returned  in  1752,  the  York 
people  were  rejoiced  to  hear  that  six  young  ministers 
had  come  with  him.  But  they  were  told  to  wait  until 
the  meeting  of  the  Coetus  in  Lancaster.  A  number  of 
them  went  to  Lancaster  to  receive  a  minister,  but  the 
ministers  of  the  Coetus  quarreled  over  the  question  of 
allowing  the  elders  to  vote,  and  some  of  the  ministers 
and  elders  withdrew  from  the  meeting.  The  York 
people  were  told  that  all  of  the  young  men  recently 
arrived  had  been  assigned  to  places,  and  there  was  no 
one  for  them.  They  complained  that  they  had  ^'  been 
fooled  again.'^  This  was  resented  by  Schlatter.  They 
then  begged  that  some  of  the  ministers  should  supply 
them  alternately  until  they  could  secure  a  regular  min- 
ister. They  were  told  this  could  not  be  done,  and  it 
was  suggested  that  they  should  be  satisfied  with  Lishy. 
They  finally  begged  that  a  minister  should  come  to 
them  and  give  them  the  communion,  but  even  this 
request  was  not  granted.  The  people  went  home  dis- 
appointed and  sad. 


62  EARLY    HISTORY 

The  York  people  next  attended  a  Coetus  meeting 
at  Goshenhoppen,  and  again  presented  their  petition. 
The  Coetus  was  again  divided^  and  nothing  was  done. 
The  next  Coetus  was  held  at  Cocalico  (Bethany),  Pa., 
and  the  York  people  were  again  on  hand  to  press  their 
petition  for  a  minister.  It  was  resolved  that  they 
should  have  a  new  minister.  Rev.  Mr.  Frankenfeld 
was  elected  and  a  call  sent  to  him,  and  he  accepted  the 
same.  The  people  were  now  glad,  but  only  to  be  dis- 
appointed anew.  Mr.  Frankenfeld  did  not  come,  and 
they  never  learned  the  real  cause  of  it.  They  supposed 
it  was  because  his  congregation  would  not  let  him  go. 
It  was  to  take  Lishy  in  exchange,  which  it  refused 
to  do. 

The  people  at  York  w^ere  now  more  disappointed 
and  discouraged  than  ever.  In  their  letter  to  the  Hol- 
land brethren  they  say  :  "  Thus  we  have  to  remain  in 
our  sad  condition,  unless  you  and  the  Almighty  God 
come  to  our  assistance.  Most  of  us  have  not  received 
the  Holy  Supper  for  six  or  seven  years.  You  can 
easily  judge  how  many  young  people  have  grown  up  in 
our  midst  who  ought  to  be  received  into  the  covenant 
of  grace,  which,  however,  cannot  be  done  without  a 
minister.  May  God  have  mercy  upon  us.'^  These 
York  people  were  very  eager  to  secure  a  minister,  and 
they  were  by  no  means  partial  as  to  who  it  should  be, 
only  so  it  would  be  a  man  of  good  character.  If  peo- 
ple in  our  day  would  be  as  easy  to  please  as  they  were, 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  settling  pastors  over  all 
vacant  charges. 

The  condition  of  the  York  people  was  similar  to 
that  of  many  others.     The  above  gives   us  an  insight 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  63 

into  the  painful  conditions  prevailing  in  Pennsylvania 
a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  The  people  were  truly 
as  sheep  without  a  shepherd.  They  were  anxious  to 
have  a  shepherd,  but  could  find  none. 

These  Reformed  people  at  York  close  their  letter  to 
the  Holland  brethren  in  the  following  beautiful  manner  : 

"  Now  the  God  of  peace,  that  brought  again  from 
the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of 
the  sheep,  through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  cove- 
nant, make  you  perfect  in  every  good  work  to  do  his 
will,  working  in  you  that  which  is  well  pleasing  in  his 
sight,  through  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever 
and  ever.     Amen.''     (Heb.  13  :  20.) 

In  1768  the  Coetus  received  a  piteous  appeal  from 
New  Llineburg,  Nova  Scotia,  where  eighty  families 
had  been  seventeen  years  without  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  and  the  sacraments. 


64  EARLY    HISTORY 


12. 

CONFESSION  OF  EARLY  REFORMED  MINISTERS. 

When  the  Reformed  Fathers  in  Holland  sent  Rev. 
Michael  Schlatter  to  Pennsylvania  to  organize  the  scat- 
tered Reformed  people  into  charges  and  settle  pastors 
over  them,  and  to  organize  them  into  a  Coetus  or 
Synod,  they  instructed  him  "that  the  members  of  the 
Coetus  should  sign  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  and  the 
Canons  of  the  ^National  Synod  of  Dort  of  1618  and 
1619,  declaring  that  they  with  heart  and  soul  are  de- 
voted to  the  same  and  will  hold  to  them  unalterably." 

The  Coetus  was  organized  in  Philadelphia  on  Sept. 
29,  1747,  with  31  ministers  and  elders.  The  members 
met  in  the  parsonage  and  then  proceeded  to  the  church 
in  a  body.  It  was  a  memorable  occasion.  It  was  the 
beginning  of  the  organized  existence  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  this  country.  Rev.  John  B.  Rieger  preached 
a  sermon  on  the  133d  Psalm.  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter 
presided. 

At  the  second  meeting  of  the  Coetus  the  following 
declaration  of  faith  was  adopted  :  "  We,  the  under- 
signed ministers  in  actual  service  in  the  Reformed  con- 
gregations in  Pennsylvania,  having  appeared  at  the 
appointed  Coetus  in  Philadelphia  on  Sept.  28,  1748, 
together  with  the  accompanying  elders  from  our  con- 
gregations, do  hereby  affirm  that  we  are  devoted  heart 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  «  65 

and  soul  to  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  and  the  Canons 
of  the  National  Synod  of  Dort  of  1618  and  1619,  and 
that  we  shall  unalterably  hold  to  thera/' 

This  declaration  was  then  signed  by  Revs.  John 
Philip  Boehm,  Michael  Schlatter,  John  Philip  Leydich, 
Dominicus  Bartholomew  and  John  Jacob  Hochreutner  ; 
and  by  seven  elders.  Rev.  John  B.  Rieger  declined  to 
sign  the  paper,  because  he  '^  felt  some  scruples  about 
the  articles  of  the  Synod  of  Dort  treating  on  predesti- 
nation in  the  sense  of  John  Calvin.'^ 

The  Holland  Fathers  wished  to  know  whether  the 
people  whom  they  were  expected  to  assi«^t  with  minis- 
ters and  money  were  sound  in  the  faith.  The  above 
declaration  was  satisfactory  to  them. 


66  EARLY    HISTORY 


13. 
SPIRIT  OF  THE  EARLY  MINISTERS. 

From  the  numerous  letters  and  reports  of  the  early 
Keformed  pastors  in  Pennsylvania  we  get  a  glimpse  of 
their  spirit.  This  refers  primarily  to  the  ministers 
who  were  included  in  the  Coetus  when  this  body  had 
been  organized.  They  had  come  to  this  country  with 
the  true  missionary  spirit,  and  they  manifested  a  great 
deal  of  self-denial.  They  endured  many  privations. 
They  were  compelled  to  travel  a  vast  deal  and  submit 
to  great  exposure.  There  were  no  bridges  across 
streams  and  few  real  roads,  little  else  than  Indian 
trails  through  vast  forests.  Their  income  was  very 
small.  A  number  of  the  best  men  who  labored  here, 
like  Revs.  Boehm  and  Tempelman,  supported  them- 
selves and  families  by  the  labor  of  their  hands — Mr. 
Boehm  by  tilling  a  farm  in  Montgomery  county,  and 
Mr.  Tempelman  as  a  tailor  in  Lebanon  county.  Then 
Mr.  Boehm's  labors  were  made  more  difficult  by  cer- 
tain unworthy  men  who  acted  from  selfish  motives. 

Notwithstanding  their  hard  labors  and  unfavorable 
circumstances  these  early  ministers  in  Pennsylvania 
were  possessed  of  a  beautiful  Christian  spirit.  Their 
letters  and  reports  are  pervaded  by  a  spirit  of  entire 
devotion  to  the  cause.  They  speak  constantly  about 
the  glory  of  God,  the  salvation   of  souls  and  the  pure 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  67 

Reformed  doctrine.  This  was  tiieir  staodard,  and  they 
were  willing  to  suffer  for  its  sake.  The  Reformed 
Church  owes  her  existence  in  this  country  largely  to 
the  fidelity  of  these  men,  few  in  number,  who  were 
faithful  under  trying  and  unfavorable  circumstances. 
They  deserve  to  be  held  in  the  highest  esteem  and 
grateful  remembrance  by  the  people  of  our  day,  who 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  their  sowing  and  are  building  upon 
the  foundations  laid  by  them  with  great  self-sacrifice. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Coetus  at  Lancaster  in  1752 
the  ministers  adopted  a  paper  in  which  they  solemnly 
pledged  themselves  to  maintain  the  doctrines  founded 
on  the  Synod  of  Dort  in  161<S  and  1619  ;  to  be  subor- 
dinate to  the  Christian  Synods  of  Holland,  and  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  the  Reformed  congregations  in  this 
country,  as  well  as  each  "other's  bodily  and  spiritual 
welfare,  honor  and  esteem  as  an  example  for  the  peo- 
ple to  imitate.  This  paper  was  signed  by  Revs.  Weiss, 
Rieger,  Schlatter,  Leydich,  Lishy,  Waldschmid,  Stoy, 
Otterbein,  Wissler,  Frankenfeld,  DuBois  and  Tempel- 
man. 

When  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  came  here  in  1746, 
he  found  only  four  regularly  ordained  Reformed  min- 
isters in  Pennsylvania — John  P.  Boehm,  George  M. 
Weiss,  John  B.  Rieger  and  P.  H.  Dorsius.  It  is  re- 
markable that  although  these  men  had  been  laboring 
here  for  a  long  time,  they  had  never  been  together  until 
October  12,  1746,  when  in  response  to  a  request  of  Mr. 
Schlatter  the  three  first  named  came  to  his  home  in 
Philadelphia.  Mr.  Dorsius  could  not  attend  on  account 
of  the  sickness  of  his  wife.     Mr.  Schlatter  reports  that 


68  EARLY    HISTORY 

the  union  and  brotherly  love  which  was  effected  by 
him  between  the  ministers  "  made  a  great  stir  and 
fame  throughout  the  whole  land/^ 

On  Sunday,  September  25,  1746,  Revs.  Schlatter, 
Boehm  and  Weiss  met  in  the  Reformed  church  at  Tul- 
pehocken  and  administered  the  communion  to  the  two 
Tulpehocken  congregations.  Host  and  Trinity,  the  two 
flocks  meeting  together  on  this  occasion.  Schlatter 
preached  to  six  hundred  people.  The  people  wept 
tears  of  joy  at  the  sight  of  three  ministers  in  the  pul- 
pit. Such  a  sight  they  had  never  beheld  in  this  coun- 
try, many  of  them  never  in  their  lives.  Harmony  be- 
tween ministers  always  has  a  good  effect  upon  the  peo- 
ple. Disaffection  between  ministers  works  great  harm 
to  the  gospel  of  love. 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  69 


14. 

"CONGREGATION  OF  GOD  IN  THE  SPIRIT." 

This  was  the  name  adopted  by  a  union  movement 
organized  by  Count  Zinzendorf,  of  the  Moravian 
Church,  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Pennsylvania  in  1741. 
The  idea  was  to  unite  the  various  Protestant  denomi- 
nations into  one  body,  but  with  everything  pointing 
toward  the  Moravian  Church.  The  idea  was  a  pleas- 
ing one.  There  were  many  sects  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
all  were  weak.  Why  should  they  not  all  combine  and 
work  together  ?  The  proposition  appealed  strongly  to 
many.  ZinzendorFs  plan  was  to  form  certain  circles 
or  "  tropes"  in  each  denomination,  but  all  to  be  under 
the  control  of  the  Moravian  Church.  Zinzendorf  was 
well  calculated  to  suggest  and  head  such  a  movement. 
He  claimed  to  be  a  Lutheran,  since  he,  like  other  Mo- 
ravians, had  accepted  the  Augsburg  Confession ;  and 
on  the  other  hand  he  had  been  ordained  by  the  Re- 
formed Church  of  Brandenburg.  Dr.  Good  says  he 
was  a  Lutheran,  a  Reformed  and  a  Moravian. 

The  union  was  formed  and  called  "  The  Congrega- 
tion of  God  in  the  Spirit."  Zinzendorf  was  greatly 
aided  in  the  beginning  by  Henry  Antes,  a  prominent 
Reformed  man  at  Falkner  Swamp,  and  Rev.  John 
Bechtel,  of  Germantown.  The  union  included  Re- 
formed, Lutherans,  Mennonites,  Dunkards,   Schwenk- 


70  EARLY    HISTORY 

felders,  Moravians,  Mystics  and  Separatists.  Five  Re- 
formed ministers  entered  the  union — Revs.  John  Bech- 
tel,  Henry  Antes,  Christian  Henry  Ranch,  John  Brand- 
mliller  and  Jacob  Lishy.  They  were  to  form  a  subor- 
dinate union  by  themselves  as  representing  the  Re- 
formed Church.  All  of  them  were  ordaiiied  by  Zin- 
zendorf  and  his  associates  as  ministers  for  the  Re- 
formed Church.  Twenty-seven  conferences  (called 
Pennsylvania  Synods)  were  held  from  1742  to  1748. 
The  first  one  occurred  on  Jan.  1,  1742,  in  German- 
town.  There  were  eight  denominations  represented 
and  thirty-six  members  present ;  the  second  at  Falk- 
ner  Swamp  on  January  14-15  ;  the  third  on  February 
10-12,  1742,  on  the  farm  of  John  DeTurk,  in  Oley, 
when  Mr.  Ranch  was  ordained  and  three  American 
Indians  were  baptized.  Gradually  one  after  another 
of  the  denominations  dropped  out,  and  at  the  last 
synod  in  1748  the  Moravians  were  almost  alone.  At 
that  meeting  of  the  synod,  on  October  23-27,  1748,  at 
Bethlehem,  the  Moravian  Church  was  fully  organized. 
Their  number  had  been  largely  increased  by  the  ar- 
rival of  120  Moravians  in  the  ship  '^Snow  Catharine" 
in  May,  1742. 

Thus  ended  the  "  Congregation  of  God  in  the 
Spirit."  Revs.  Bechtel,  Ranch,  Brandm tiller  and 
Antes  entered  fully  into  the  Moravian  Church ;  but 
Lishy  returned  to  the  Reformed  Church.  Mr.  Antes 
left  the  Moravians  in  1750  and  returned  to  his  home 
at  Falkner  Swamp,  where  he  died  on  July  20,  1755. 
Rev.  Mr.  Bechtel  had  carried  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion in  Germantown  into  the    union,    but   the   people 


OF  THE   KEFORMED   CHURCH.  71 

became  dissatisfied  and  returned  to  the  allegiance  of 
the  Eeformed  Church,  and  Mr.  Bechtel  was  compelled 
to  resign  in  1744. 

The  union  was  opposed  from  its  start  by  two  of  the 
most  prominent  Reformed  ministers.  Rev.  Samuel 
Guldin,  the  first  Reformed  ordained  minister  in  this 
state,  coming  here  in  1710,  attended  the  first  confer- 
ence of  the  union  on  Jan.  1,  1742,  but  he  was  dis- 
heartened by  the  lack  of  union.  He  soon  after  heartily 
opposed  the  movement,  and  on  February  4,  1742,  pub- 
lished a  tract  against  it.  During  the  same  year  he 
added  four  others.  All  of  these  five  tracts  were  pub- 
lished by  Christopher  Saur  in  1743  under  the  title: 
"  Unpartisan  Witness  on  the  New  Union  of  all  De- 
nominations in  Pennsylvania,  and  Also  Some  Other 
Points."  It  was  a  vigorous  protest  against  the  union 
movement.  Mr.  Guldin  was  now  an  aged  man,  but  he 
did  what  he  could  to  prevent  the  Reformed  people 
from  being  misled. 

But  the  principal  champion  of  the  Reformed  Church 
over  against  the  union  movement  was  Rev.  John  Philip 
Boehm.  He  opposed  it  from  the  start,  and  issued  two 
protests  against  it.     (See  following  chapter.) 


72  EARLY    HISTORY 


15. 

REV.  BOEHM'S  WARNINGS. 

Rev.  John  Philip  Boehni  published  two  circular 
letters,  in  which  he  cautioned  the  Reformed  people 
against  the  union  movement  of  the  "  Congregation  of 
God  in  the  Spirit,"  under  the  leadership  of  the  Mo- 
ravians. The  first  one  was  dated  August  23,  ]  742, 
and  the  second  one  May  19,  1743.  He  speaks  of  the 
Moravian  doctrine  as  "  pernicious  to  the  soul  and  de- 
structive to  the  conscience."  Mr.  Boehm  was  a  poor 
man,  receiving  only  a  meagre  support  from  the  poor 
and  scattered  people,  and  the  publication  of  these  two 
letters  was  a  real  hardship  for  him.  He  paid  for  the 
printing  of  the  letters,  and  then  put  them  on  sale  at  a 
number  of  places,  which  he  mentions  in  the  second  cir- 
cular. (He  expended  $14.52  for  printing  the  two  cir- 
culars, of  which  sum  he  received  less  than  one-half 
back.     He  gave  away  many  copies.) 

Mr.  Boehm  made  an  earnest  and  pathetic  appeal  to 
the  Reformed  people  to  hold  fast  to  the  Reformed  faith 
and  not  be  led  astray  by  those  minist  rs  who  repre- 
sented themselves  as  Reformed,  but  were  at  heart  Mo- 
ravians and  had  been  ordained  by  the  Moravians.  He 
mentions  especially  Jacob  Lishy,  John  Bechtel  and 
Henry  Antes,  whom  he  charges  with  obscuring  the 
Reformed  doctrine  and  with  efforts  ''  to  bring  all  under 


OF  THE   REFOKMED   CHURCH.  7S 

the  sect  of  the  Moravians/^  Mr.  Antes  is  said  to  have 
declared  "  that  he  was  now  without  sin.  for  the  Savior 
had  entered  into  him."  Rev.  Mr.  Lishy  was  charged 
with  having  "  sworn  by  the  throne  of  God  that  he  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Moravians," 
although  he  had  been  ordained  by  them. 

Rev.  John  Bechtel  also  seems  to  have  held  some 
strange  views.  He  refused  to  teach  the  80th  and 
114th  questions  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism.  In  the 
answer  to  the  latter  question  it  is  stated  that  men  can- 
not keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  perfectly. 
Bechtel  said  this  was  not  true,  because  those  who  are 
converted  to  God  keep  them  perfectly,  for  they  are  no 
longer  sinners. 

Rev.  Henry  Antes  had  a  peculiar  w^ay  of  account- 
ing for  his  faith.  When  he  was  asked  how  he  could 
call  himself  Reformed,  since  he  went  with  the  Mo- 
ravians and  took  part  in  their  love  feasts,  he  replied  : 
"  Why,  how  strange  you  are  !  Is  this  a  reason  why  I 
should  not  be  Reformed  ?  I  am  Reformed,  and  also  a 
Lutheran  and  a  Mennonite.  A  Christian  is  every- 
thing." 

Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  charged  that  when  the  Moravians 
first  came  to  this  country  they  represented  themselves 
as  Lutherans,  and  later  some  claimed  to  be  Reformed. 
He  charged  them  with  coming  in  sheep's  clothing  to 
deceive  the  people  and  to  spread  the  cause  of  the  Mo- 
ravians. Mr.  Boehm  was  quite  severe  in  his  language, 
and  called  these  people  enthusiasts  and  fanatics. 

Mr.  Boehm  stated  that  for  some  time  the  doctrines 
preached  by  these  men  were  acceptable  to  the  ignorant 
6 


74  EARLY   HISTORY 

people  who  allowed  themselves  to  be  led  by  the  nose 
for  some  time,  but  after  awhile  they  will  turn  away 
from  these  sly  foxes,  after  they  have  learned  to  know 
their  real  purpose. 

The  scarcity  of  ministers  was  favorable  to  the  work 
of  these  men.  Mr.  Boehm  admonishes  the)  people  to 
be  patient  until  the  Lord  would  send  fsufficient  help. 
He  says : 

"  Let  us  edify  and  admonish  each  other  from  the 
Word  of  God  according  to  our  ability  in  all  order  and 
piety,  then  God  will  finally  come  and  provide  for  us 
with  necessary  and  sufficient  means.  Let  us  not  act 
like  the  Children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness  who, 
when  Moses  stayed  away  a  long  time,  did  not  want  to 
wait,  but  desired  gods  and  made  themselves  a  golden 
calf.  Beloved,  read  the  thirty-second  chapter  of  Exo- 
dus, the  last  three  verses,  how  this  people  fared  on  ac- 
count of  their  sin." 

Mr.  Boehm  closes  his  second  caution  with  the  hope 
that  the  Reformed  people  will  pray  to  God  that  He 
would  lead  them  in  the  right  way  by  His  Holy  Spirit, 
according  to  His  Word.  He  also  declares  his  expecta- 
tion that  he  would  be  persecuted  on  account  of  this  his 
action.  But  he  expresses  the  hope  that  if  his  oppo- 
nents have  any  reply  to  make,  they  should  do  it  open- 
ly, and  not  hide  again  behind  a  simple  soul,  such  as 
George  Neiser,  a  schoolmaster  at  Bethlehem.  This 
refers  to  the  fact  that  Zinzendorf  replied  to  Mr.  Boehm's 
first  warning  over  the  name  of  George  Neiser.  This 
was  foolish,  because  the  deception  was  apparent. 

This  second  warning  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  had  an 
excellent  effect,  as  it  opened  the  eyes  of  the  Reformed 


OF   THE  REFORMED   CHURCH.  75 

people  to  the  clangers  to  which  they  were  exposed. 
The  Reformed  people  were  passing  through  a  critical 
experience.  But  for  Mr.  Boehm  the  Reformed  people 
would  likely  have  been  carried  into  the  Moravian 
Church.  Later  on,  when  the  number  of  Reformed 
ministers  in  Pennsylvania  increased,  this  danger  passed 
away.  Mr.  Boehm  cannot  be  given  too  much  praise 
for  his  noble  stand  for  the  Reformed  faith  at  a  time 
when  he  as  a  minister  stood  almost  alone.  Five  Re- 
formed ministers  had  gone  into  the  union  and  preached 
to  many  Reformed  people. 

Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  bears  testimony  to  Mr. 
Boehm's  excellent  service  in  this  connection.  In  his 
report  to  the  Holland  synods  in  1746  Mr.  Schlatter 
says  :  "  It  is  mainly  owing  to  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  that 
the  Moravians  have  not  caused  more  confusion  among 
many  congregations  here.'^ 


76  EAELY   HISTORY 


16. 
EARLY  CHURCH  CONVENTIONS. 

It  is  probable  that  the  first  public  convention  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania  was  that  held 
in  Heidelberg  township,  Berks  county.  The  exact 
place  of  meeting  is  not  known.  Prof.  Hinke  believes 
it  to  have  been  at  the  house  of  either  Tobias  Bickel  or 
Frederick  Gerhard,  who  resided  near  the  Moravian 
school  house  in  what  is  now  North  Heidelberg  town- 
ship, and  near  the  place  where  in  1744  the  Moravian 
church  was  erected.  Lishy  had  been  preaching  in  the 
house  of  Bickel,  and  Gerhard  was  a  prominent  Morav- 
ian, who  as  an  elder  attended  the  conference.  Lishy, 
in  reporting  about  the  conference,  speaks  several  times 
about  the  people  being  in  ^'  the  room.^^  He  never 
speaks  of  a  church.  It  has  frequently  been  represented 
that  the  conference  was  held  in  Hain's  church,  then 
known  as  the  Cacusi  church,  but  this  is  evidently  an 
error. 

The  conference  occurred  on  August  29,  1743,  and 
was  called  by  Rev.  Jacob  Lishy,  who  preached  at  this 
and  many  other  places.  The  meeting  was  called  to 
consider  a  number  of  charges  against  Mr.  Lishy  which 
were  in  circulation.  He  had  been  ordained  by  the 
Moravians,  but  pretended  to  be  a  Reformed  minister. 
The  meeting  was  attended  by  fifty  elders  and  deacons. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  77 

besides  many  members  from  twelve  coDgregations   for 
whom  Mr.  Lishy  was  preaching. 

The  principal  charge  against  Lishy  was  that  he  was 
a  "  Zinzendorfer/^  that  is,  a  Moravian.  (Count  Zin- 
zendorf  was  then  the  leader  of  the  Moravians  in  this 
country.  They  had  organized  their  first  congregation 
at  Bethlehem  in  1742.  In  January,  1743,  Lishy  was 
ordained  by  the  Moravian  Bishop  Nitschman.)  Mr. 
Lishy  succeeded  in  explaining  matters  so  well  that  the 
people  were  satisfied  and  agreed  to  continue  him  as 
their  pastor.  In  reference  to  the  charge  that  he  was 
not  regularly  ordained,  he  exhibited  his  ordination  cer- 
tificate, and  this  also  satisfied  the  people.  The  meet- 
ing adopted  an  action  which  vindicated  Pastor  Lishy, 
and  people  were  warned  against  slandering  him.  How- 
ever this  was  not  fully  satisfactory.  It  was  a  sort  of 
compromise.  The  people  were  anxious  to  have  a  pas- 
tor, and  they  were  willing  to  keep  Mr.  Lishy,  although 
his  position  was  by  no  means  satisfactory.  Lishy 
afterward  stated  that  the  Moravians  rejoiced  over  his 
"  victory"  at  the  above  meeting.  No  doubt  they  did 
this  because  Lishy  was  their  representative  and  worked 
for  their  interest,  although  he  always  told  the  Reformed 
people  that  he  was  Reformed. 

A  similar  meeting  was  held  at  Muddy  Creek,  Lan- 
caster county,  on  March  21,  1745.  We  are  told  that 
it  was  a  large  "  church  council."  Lishy^s  relation  to 
the  Reformed  Church  was  again  inquired  into.  He 
was  called  upon  to  say  whether  he  was  a  Moravian  or 
not.  At  first  he  sought  to  evade  the  investigation,  but 
when  closely  pressed  he  acknowledged  that  he  stood  in 


78  EAELY   HISTORY 

union  with  the  Moravians.  At  this  meeting  at  Muddy 
Creek  a  hymn  of  sixteen  verses,  composed  by  Lishy, 
was  publicly  read.  It  is  pervaded  by  the  spirit  of  the 
union  movement,  and  clearly  shows  where  the  author 
stood.  (The  hymn  is  published  in  the  first  volume  of 
"  Fathers  of  the  Eeformed  Church,"  page  356.)  Here, 
as  at  North  Heidelberg,  Lishy  appears  to  have  pacified 
the  people,  at  least  to  some  extent. 


OF  THE  REFORMED  CHURCH.  79 


17. 
EARLY  SECTS. 

One  of  the  unfortunate  facts  connected  with  the 
early  religious  history  of  eastern  Pennsylvania  was  the 
existence  of  many  sects.  This  caused  much  feeling 
and  confusion. 

Rev.  Henry  Goetschius,  Reformed  pastor  in  Phila- 
delphia in  1735,  in  a  letter  of  July  21  of  that  year, 
says  in  reference  to  the  people  of  Pennsylvania  : 
^'  Most  of  them  belong  to  the  Reformed  Church.  The 
remainder  belong  to  all  possible  sects — Atheists,  Ana- 
baptists, Quakers,  Arians,  Enthusiasts,  Nestorians, 
Pietists,  Mennonites,  AValdenses,  etc." 

The  "  New  Born"  were  a  sect  in^Oley  who  called 
themselves  sinless,  equal  to  God  and  greater  than  the 
Savior.  Rev.  Boehm  complains  about  them  and  speaks 
of  them  as  blasphemers,  which  they  really  were. 

Rev.  George  Michael  Weiss,  one  of  the  first  Re- 
formed ministers  in  this  state,  refers  to  this  condition 
in  a  report  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  dated  April 
25,  1742.  He  complains  that  the  people  are  unstable 
in  consequence  of  the  sects  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York.  There  were  not  only  many  Protestant  sects, 
but  he  states  that  the  Jesuits  were  also  coming  into  the 
foreground  in  our  state.  On  October  7,  1752,  Rev. 
Weiss,  in  a  report  to  the   Fathers   in   Holland,  says : 


80  EARLY    HISTORY 

^'  There  is  a  multiplicity  of  religious  sects  in  this  coun- 
try, for  there  are  Catholics,  Lutherans,  Reformed, 
Episcopalians,  Presbyterians,  Mennonites,  Quakers, 
Baptists,  Schwenkfelders,  Moravians,  besides  many 
Separatists  ^  He  states  that  the  Quakers  had  great 
influence,  having  been  the  first  inhabitants  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  they  lived  in  great  quietness. 

Mr.  Weiss  also  refers  to  a  "certain  count  from 
Crermany,  who  does  not  a  little  to  draw  to  his  side  with 
preaching  and  admonishing  all  the  land  over.'^  This 
reference  is  to  Count  Zinzendorf,  who  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  1741.  His  real  name  was  Ludwig  Herman 
von  Thiirnstein.  Zinzendorf  was  a  Moravian,  a  man 
who  wielded  an  extended  influence.  He  was  received 
with  open  arms  by  many  people,  including  some  prom- 
inent Reformed  persons.  He  advocated  a  pet  scheme — 
the  union  of  all  denominations.  This  was  a  pleasing 
proposition,  and  met  with  a  hearty  response  on  the 
part  of  many  people  in  several  Churches.  There  were 
many  conditions  which  favored  the  proposition.  One 
was  the  unorganized  condition  of  the  people.  Many 
^were  without  ministers,  and  the  people  readily  assented 
to  any  movement  which  promised  to  give  them  shep- 
herds. Zinzendorf  was  ready  to  meet  this  disposition. 
He  and  his  associates  were  ready  to  ordain  persons  to 
the  ministry.  Thus  they  ordained  Henry  Antes,  John 
Bechtel,  Jacob  Lishy  and  several  others  as  ministers 
for  the  Reformed  people.  The  three  named  persons 
became  ardent  admirers  and  followers  of  Zinzendorf. 
The  plan  appears  to  have  been  one  of  federal  union. 
Ministers  were  ordained  for  the  several  denominations. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  81 

But  there  is  no  doubt  that  even  if  the  object  was  not  to 
draw  all  into  the  Moravian  Church,  the  tendency  was 
in  that  direction.  Revs.  Bechtel,  Rauch,  Brandmiiller 
and  several  others  fully  united  with  the  Moravians. 
Rev.  Mr.  Lishy,  after  trying  for  a  long  time  to  serve 
two  masters — the  Moravians  and  the  Reformed — fin- 
ally cast  his  lot  entirely  with  the  Reformed  people. 
He  had  been  accused  with  carrying  water  on  both 
shoulders.  He  preached  in  Reformed  churches,  and 
some  of  the  Reformed  accused  him  of  siding  with  the 
Moravians,  whilst  the  Moravians  accused  him  of  not 
being  true  to  them.  The  latter  charged  him  with  being 
wicked,  and  begged  him  to  repent.  Mr.  Lishy  spent 
some  time  at  Bethlehem,  where  he  wavered,  but  finally 
decided  in  favor  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

At  that  time  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm  was  the 
leading  Reformed  minister  in  this  country.  He  was  a 
truly  good  and  zealous  man,  and  did  more  than  any 
one  else  to  supply  their  spiritual  wants.  Mr.  Boehm 
saw  what  effect  the  union  movement  would  have  upon 
the  Reformed  people,  and  took  a  firm  stand  against  it. 
For  this  he  deserves  much  credit.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  but  for  this  firm  stand  of  Mr.  Boehm  the  Re- 
formed people  would  have  been  drawn  into  the  Morav- 
ian Church.  His  position  led  him  into  a  fierce  contro- 
versy with  Count  Zinzendorf,  and  both  displayed  much 
feeling  in  the  matter.  The  opposition  of  Mr.  Boehm 
had  a  good  effect  upon  the  Reformed  people,  and  they 
gradually  refused  to  have  anything  further  to  do  with 
the  union  movement. 

Zinzendorf  s  efforts  for  union  caused  a  good  deal  of 
friction  at  various  places.     He  carried  his   efforts   tco 


82  EARLY   HISTORY 

far.  He  was  imprudent  in  seeking  to  force  his  plan 
upon  people  against  their  will.  This  was  especially 
the  case  with  the  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation  at 
Douglassville,  then  called  Molatten.  Zinzendorf  sent 
a  young  minister  there  to  induce  the  people  to  fall  in 
with  his  plans.  He  secured  some  adherents  and  ap- 
pointed a  time  for  preaching  in  the  church — without 
consulting  the  pastor,  Rev.  Gabriel  Falk,  or  securing 
his  consent.  This  was  in  1742.  At  the  time  ap- 
pointed Rev.  Mr.  Falk  went  to  the  church  early  and 
occupied  the  pulpit.  When  the  Moravian  preacher  en- 
tered the  church,  Mr.  Falk  met  him  in  the  aisle  and 
said  :  "  You  enter  the  sheepfold  as  a  thief  and  mur- 
derer," at  the  same  time  landing  him  a  severe  blow 
with  the  hand  on  Lis  mouth.  Before  a  conflict  could 
ensue,  the  people  separated  them.  But  it  ended  the 
effort  to  capture  the  Lutherans  of  Molatten  for  the 
Moravians. 

The  Moravians  also  came  in  for  a  large  share  of 
the  blame  for  the  confusion  which  prevailed  in  the 
Tulpehocken  Reformed  and  Lutheran  churches  be- 
tween 1736  and  1742. 


OF   THE   REFOEMED   CHURCH.  83 


18. 

CARE  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  HOLLAND. 

For  some  years  after  their  settlement  in  Pennsyl- 
vania the  Reformed  people  were  truly  as  sheep  without 
a  shepherd.  They  had  no  pastors.  In  1710  Rev. 
Samuel  Guldin  came  here  as  the  first  ordained  minis- 
ter. He  was  a  good  man  and  preached  until  his  death 
in  1745,  but  he  organized  no  congregations.  As  stated 
elsewhere  in  this  volume,  John  Philip  Boehm  and  Con- 
rad Tempelman  commenced  in  1725  to  act  as  ministers 
among  the  people,  after  they  had  been  conducting  ser- 
vices for  several  years  as  ^'  readers.^^  They  conducted 
the  worship  and  read  sermons  to  the  people.  Later 
they  were  ordained  and  labored  in  the  ministry  until 
death. 

Reformed  people  from  Holland  had  preceded  the 
Reformed  from  Germany  to  America.  The  former 
located  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey.  The  Church 
in  Holland  fostered  their  brethren  in  the  New  World 
as  a  mother  cares  for  her  children.  She  sent  ministers 
and  money  to  them. 

Gradually  the  destitute  condition  of  the  German 
Reformed  in  Pennsylvania  was  brought  to  the  attention 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Holland.  In  1727  Rev. 
George  Michael  Weiss  was  sent  by  the  Reformed 
Church  of  the  Palatinate  to  Pennsylvania.     The   ship 


84  EARLY   HISTORY 

in  which  he  made  the  voyage  brought  400  emigrants 
from  the  Palatinate  to  Pennsylvania.  Rev.  Mr. 
Weiss'  reports  to  the  Church  in  Germany  were  com- 
municated to  the  Synods  in  Holland,  and  in  this  way 
the  condition  of  the  Reformed  in  Pennsylvania  was 
officially  brought  before  the  brethren  in  Holland.  This 
was  in  1728.  Later  Rev.  Mr.  Weiss  appealed  directly 
to  the  Church  in  Holland  for  aid.  He  reported  that 
there  was  a  large  number  of  Reformed  members  in 
America.  They  had  come  from  the  Palatinate  and 
other  sections  of  Germany.  In  1729  Rev.  Mr.  Weiss, 
in  company  with  Mr.  Jacob  Reiif,  went  to  Holland  and 
personally  laid  the  wants  of  the  German  Reformed  in 
Pennsylvania  before  the  Reformed  Church  of  that 
country.  He  collected  money,  Bibles  and  other  good 
books  for  the  people  here.  Weiss  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  1731.  (Reiff  returned  later  with  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  money  which  he  kept  many  years 
before  turning  it  over.) 

In  1731,  while  the  Synod  of  South  Holland  was  in 
session  in  Dortrecht,  800  exiled  Palatines  passed 
through  the  place  to  take  ships  at  Rotterdam  for 
America.  The  synod  visited  them  in  a  body,  and  fur- 
nished them  with  provisions  and  medicines.  After 
Christian  exhortation,  prayer  and  singing,  the  Dutch 
brethren  gave  them  the  assurance  of  help  in  their  new 
home.  From  this  time  forward  there  was  a  continued 
correspondence  between  the  German  Reformed  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  the  Church  in  Holland.  The  latter  had 
a  standing  committee  for  correspondence  called  Depu- 
ties. This  committee  served  as  a  sort  of  Board  of  For- 
eign Missions. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  85 

The  Church  in  Holland  in  the  course  of  time  looked 
around  for  a  German  minister  whom  they  might  send 
over  to  take  charge  of  the  work  in  America.  They 
thought  they  had  found  such  a  man  in  Rev.  Maurice 
Goetschi,  who  came  here  in  1735,  but  unfortunately 
died  upon  landing  at  Philadelphia. 

In  the  fall  of  1737  the  brethren  in  Holland  asked 
Rev.  Peter  H.  Dorsius,  pastor  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
church  in  Bucks  county,  for  specific  information  in  ref- 
erence to  the  German  Reformed  in  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
Dorsius  asked  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  to  aid  him  in  se- 
curing the  desired  information,  which  he  did.  The 
Church  in  Holland  wanted  to  know  how  many  German 
congregations  there  were  in  Pennsylvania,  how  many 
congregations  in  each  pastor's  charge,  how  many  elders 
and  deacons  in  each  congregation,  how  about  school- 
masters and  precentors  in  the  congregations,  etc.  Mr. 
Boehm  made  special  journeys  to  various  sections  to 
secure  the  information,  which  was  then  sent  to  Holland. 

In  1738  the  Holland  Synods  appointed  Rev.  P.  H. 
Dorsius  as  their  commissioner  and  inspector  of  the  Ger- 
man churches  in  Pennsylvania.  Boehm  at  once  recog- 
nized Dorsius  and  labored  under  his  direction.  Dor- 
sius asked  Boehm  to  present  a  report  of  the  congrega- 
tions and  the  amounts  they  were  willing  to  contribute 
for  the  support  of  pastors.  Boehm  made  special  trips 
to  the  congregations,  traveling  three  hundred  miles, 
and  made  a  full  report  on  March  30,  1740.  (See 
pledges  of  support  in  chapter  on  Pastoral  Support  in 
this  volume.)  Dorsius  visited  several  congregations, 
but  his  efforts  were  not  productive  of  much  good. 


86  EARLY   HISTORY 

In  1743  the  Synods  of  Holland,  through  Dorsius, 
proposed  a  union  of  the  German  and  Dutch  Reformed 
and  Presbyterian  Churches  in  America,  but  the  Pres- 
byterian Synod  declined  the  proposition.  We  hear  but 
little  of  Dorsius  after  this,  until  the  coming  of  Schlat- 
ter.    He  resigned  his  charge  in  Bucks  county  in  1748. 

Thus  the  Reformed  in  Holland  manifested  their 
interest  in  the  German  brethren  in  Pennsylvania. 
They  also  sent  a  number  of  ministers  and  some  money 
to  aid  in  their  support.  But  the  arrangement  was  far 
from  satisfactory.  The  relation  involved  extensive 
correspondence,  which  consumed  much  time  and  also 
failed  to  give  full  information. 

The  Holland  brethren  now  concluded  to  send  a 
minister  to  Pennsylvania  as  their  special  representative 
to  exercise  a  general  oversight  over  the  German  Re- 
formed here.  They  made  their  intention  known  in 
Germany.  After  some  delay  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter, 
a  young  and  talented  minister  of  St.  Gall,  Switzerland, 
was  recommended  for  the  position.  Mr.  Schlatter  was 
born  in  St.  Gall  on  July  14,  1716.  He  studied  in  the 
University  of  Lyden,  Holland,  and  other  places,  and 
was  ordained  to  the  ministry  on  April  10,  1739.  After 
serving  in  several  positions,  he  was  appointed  assistant 
pastor  of  the  Reformed  church  at  Linzebiihl,  near  St. 
Gall.  After  serving  there  a  short  time  he  left  St. 
Gall  on  January  9,  1746,  and  went  to  the  city  of 
Heidelberg,  where  he  learned  of  the  call  from  Holland 
for  a  minister  for  Pennsylvania.  He  at  once  went  to 
Holland  and  offered  his  services,  on  March  15,  1746. 
He  submitted  to  a  thorough  examination,  and  made  a 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH. 


87 


favorable  impression.  His  testimonials  were  also  satis- 
factory. Schlatter  was  appointed.  The  deputies  state 
that  he  was  of  good  family,  well  educated  and  under- 
stood Hebrew,   Greek,   German,    Dutch   and  French. 


REV.  MICHAEL  SCHLATTER. 

They  gave  him  all  the  money  then  in  their  treasury, 
$242.22.  He  was  also  given  §180  in  Amsterdam  by 
the  Church. 

Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  was  given  specific  instructions. 
He  was  to  organize  the  ministers  and  congregations  in 


88  EAELY    HISTORY 

Pennsylvania  into  a  Coetus  or  Synod,  which  was  to 
meet  annually.  The  doctrinal  basis  was  to  be  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism  and  the  Canons  of  the  Synod  of 
Dort.  The  Coetus  was  to  report  its  work  to  the 
Church  in  Holland.  He  Avas  to  visit  all  the  congrega- 
tions and  inform  himself  about  them.  Where  there 
were  no  congregations,  he  was  to  organize  such.  After 
this  work  had  been  performed  Schlatter  was  to  serve 
as  pastor  of  a  charge.  The  instructions  are  dated  May 
23,  1746. 

Schlatter  sailed  from  Amsterdam  June  1,  1746, 
landed  at  Boston  August  1  aud  reached  Philadelphia 
on  September  6.  He  lost  no  time  in  addressing  him- 
self to  his  task,  and  on  the  very  next  day  entered  upon 
his  work.  He  visited  the  congregations,  grouped  them 
into  charges,  and  ascertained  how  much  each  congrega- 
tion was  willing  to  pay  towards  the  pastor's  salary. 
He  found  46  congregations  more  or  less  fully  organ- 
ized, besides  a  number  which  he  had  not  yet  visited. 
Some  of  the  congregations  already  had  a  large  member- 
ship. He  organized  the  46  congregations  into  sixteen 
pastoral  charges.  On  October  12,  1746,  he  called  a 
preliminary  conference  of  the  Reformed  ministers  in 
Philadelphia,  which  was  attended  by  Revs.  Boehm, 
Weiss  and  Rieger,  besides  Schlatter.  This  was  the 
first  time  these  ministers  had  met  together.  The  Coe- 
tus was  formally  organized  in  the  Reformed  church  on 
Race  street,  Philadelphia,  on  September  29,  1747. 
There  were  present  Revs.  Schlatter,  Boehm,  Weiss  and 
Rieger,  and  27  elders  from  twelve  congregations. 
The  Coetus  met  annually,  and  sent  its  minutes  to  Hoi- 


OF   THE   REFORMED    CHURCH.  89 

land   for   approval.     With    several   exceptions  all   of 
these  minutes  are  still  extant. 

The  Holland  brethren  now  took  greater  interest  in 
the  condition  of  the  German  Reformed  in  Pennsylvania 
than  ever.  They  now  had  a  regular  source  of  infor- 
mation. They  sent  ministers  and  money  here  for  the 
fostering  of  the  Church. 

This  relation  of  the  Church  here  with  the  Church 
in  Holland  continued  until  the  year  1793,  when  the 
Coetus  was  changed  into  a  Synod,  and  the  Church  in 
this  country  declared  itself  independent  of  the  Church 
in  Holland.  During  this  period  the  Church  in  Hol- 
land sent  37  ministers  and  about  1000  Bibles  here,  and 
contributed  a  considerable  sum  of  money  for  the  sup- 
port of  ministers  and  schoolmasters.  The  German 
Reformed  Church  in  this  country  owes  a  lasting  debt 
of  gratitude  to  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  in  Holland 
for  the  aid  received  during  the  early  part  of  her  history. 

Mr.  Schlatter  reports  that  from  1747  to  1751  he 
traveled  more  than  8000  miles,  mostly  on  horseback, 
in  visiting  the  people,  and  preached  635  times.  He 
states  that  he  traveled  by  day  and  by  night,  in  heat 
and  cold.  In  the  beginning  of  1751  Schlatter  went  to 
Europe  to  lay  the  wants  of  the  people  personally  before 
the  Church  in  Holland.  He  published  a  printed  ap- 
peal, which  resulted  in  the  collection  of  a  large  amount 
of  money,  which  was  invested  and  the  interest  used  for 
the  Church  in  Pennsylvania.  He  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania in  the  spring  of  1752,  with  six  young  minis- 
ters—Revs. John  Waldschmid,  H.  W.  Stoy,  P.  W.  Ot- 
terbein,  John  J.  Wissler,  Theo.  Frankenfeld  and  John 
7 


90  EARLY    HISTORY 

C.  Rabel.  Id  1753  he  again  weat  to  Holland,  and  pre- 
sented his  resignation  there.  He  was  then  appointed 
superintendent  of  the  charity  schools  which  were  to  be 
organized  in  Pennsylvania,  and  returned  to  America  in 
September  of  1754.  In  1757  he  was  made  chaplain  of 
the  German  troops  in  the  British,  army.  Subsequently 
he  took  up  his  residence  at  Chestnut  Hil],  and  during 
many  years  preached  in  the  Barren  Hill  church.  He 
died  on  October  31,  1790,  and  was  buried  in  the  Re- 
formed cemetery  in  Philadelphia,  which  is  now  Frank- 
lin Square. 

The  Dutch  Church  in  Holland  cared  for  the  Dutch 
people  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey  substantially  in 
the  same  way  as  it  cared  for  the  German  Church  in 
Pennsylvania.  As  stated  before,  the  Dutch  settlements 
in  New  York  and  New  Jersey  occurred  long  before  the 
Germans  came  to  Pennsylvania.  The  first  Dutch  Re- 
formed congregation  was  organized  by  Rev.  Jonas 
Michaelius  in  the  year  1626  in  the  loft  of  the  mill 
within  the  fort  on  Manhattan  Island,  now  the  city  of 
New  York.  This  congregation  has  a  continued  exist- 
ence to  this  day,  and  is  the  oldest  Protestant  church  on 
the  American  continent.  The  Dutch  Reformed  in 
New  York  were  organized  into  a  Coetus  on  September 
14,  1747,  fifteen  days  before  the  organization  of  the 
German  Reformed  Coetus  in  Philadelphia.  The  Hol- 
land supervision  of  the  Dutch  Church  in  the  United 
States  continued  until  the  year  1771.  In  this  year  the 
connection  was  severed,  and  the  American  Church  be- 
came independent. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  91 


19. 

THE  COETUS. 

The  word  Coetus  is  derived  from  the  Latin  and 
means  coming  together,  or  a  convention.  The  monthly 
meetings  of  the  Deputies  of  the  Synods  in  Holland 
were  called  Coetus.  The  word  is  used  to  designate  a 
subordinate  body,  and  was  applied  to  the  first  organi- 
zation of  Reformed  ministers  and  elders  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, because  they  were  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Church  in  Holland. 

As  stated  elsewhere,  the  Coetus  was  organized  in 
Philadelphia  on  September  29,  1747,  with  four  minis- 
ters. Revs.  Boehm,  Weiss,  Rieger  and  Schlatter,  and 
27  elders  from  12  congregations.  (See  sketch  of  Rev. 
Michael  Schlatter  on  page  86.)  Regular  annual  meet- 
ings were  held,  with  the  exception  of  the  years  1778 
and  1780  on  account  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  un- 
til 1792.  At  this  latter  meeting  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  frame  a  constitution  for  a  Synod,  consisting 
of  Revs.  Heudel,  Pomp  and  Blumer.  In  1793  this 
constitution  was  adopted  and  the  Coetus  changed  into 
an  independent  Synod. 

The  Coetus  was  for  a  long  time  a  small  body,  be- 
cause the  number  of  ministers  \^  as  small,  and  not  all 
of  the  Reformed  ministers  entered  into  it.  And  then 
at  various  times  some  had  to   be  expelled.     Gradually 


92  EARLY    HISTORY 

the  number  of  ministers  in  the  state  increased,  as  did 
the  Coetus.  In  1753  the  Coetiis  was  split  into  two 
factions,  and  one  faction  held  a  meeting  in  Lancaster, 
whilst  the  other  met  at  Cocalico.  The  Holland  Fath- 
ers recognized  the  Lancaster  party  as  the  legal  body. 

The  Coetus  sought  to  watch  over  the  scattered  Re- 
formed people  and  provide  ministers  for  them.  It 
made  yearly  reports  to  the  Synods  in  Holland,  includ- 
ing a  copy  of  its  proceedings,  which  required  the  ap- 
proval of  the  Synods.  It  stated  the  condition  and 
needs  of  the  people. 

The  meetings  of  the  Coetus  were  usually  opened  in 
the  churches  with  a  sermon,  a  practise  which  has  ever 
since  been  followed  by  the  Classes  and  Synods.  In 
1752  a  preliminary  meeting  was  held  before  the  begin- 
ning of  the  regular  meeting  in  Lancaster.  This  meet- 
ing was  closed  with  a  thanksgiving  sermon.  After  the 
opening  the  business  sessions  were  frequently  held  in 
the  school  houses,  probably  because  they  were  better 
suited  for  a  small  meeting.  The  Coetus  met  in  Easton 
for  the  first  time  in  1768,  but  there  was  then  as  yet  no 
church  in  the  town,  and  therefore  the  meeting  was 
opened  with  a  sermon  in  the  court  house.  The  ses- 
sions were  held  in  a  private  house. 

One  of  the  drawbacks  of  the  Coetus  was  the  fact 
that  at  first  it  had  no  authority  to  ordain  young  men 
to  the  ministry,  except  upon  permission  of  the  Holland 
Synods.  This  was  an  awkward  and  unsatisfactory  ar- 
rangement. It  required  a  long  time  to  obtain  such 
permission  for  ordination.  Meanwhile  there  was  press- 
ing need  of  ministers,  and  frequently  there  were  can- 


OF   THE   REFOEMED    CHUECH.  93 

didates  awaiting  ordination.  Coetus  frequently  pleaded 
for  the  right  to  examine  and  ordain  young  men,  but 
the  Fathers  in  Holland  were  slow  to  grant  it.  In  the 
course  of  time  the  Coetus  ordained  a  number  of  young 
men  without  waiting  for  official  permission,  and  asked 
the  Fathers  to  confirm  the  action.  In  other  instances 
ordination  took  place  upon  permission  received  from 
Holland.  In  this  way  the  Coetus  ordained  during  its 
history  Revs.  Jona.  DuBois,  Conrad  Tempelman,  John 
D.  Gross,  Fred.  Fiihring,  Benedict  Schwab,  Caspar 
AVack,  Daniel  Wagner,  John  W.  Weber,  J.  W.  G. 
Nevelljng,  John  C.  Steiner,  jr.,  William  Runkel,  Philip 
Pauli,  Ludovicus  Chitara,  J.  Philip  Stock,  Jonathan 
Rahauser,  John  Maun,  etc. 

In  ]  788  the  Coetus  for  the  first  time  reported  that 
practically  all  places  were  supplied  with  ministers. 
There  was  no  place  of  refuge  for  a  minister  who  might 
wish  to  resign  his  charge.  The  ranks  of  the  ministry 
had  been  filled  up  through  the  ordination  of  young 
men  and  new  arrivals  from  Europe. 

The  spirit  of  independence  in  political  affairs  natu- 
rally also  fostered  independence  in  ecclesiastical  mat- 
ters. The  establishment  of  a  republican  form  of  gov- 
ernment in  this  country  undoubtedly  hastened  the  sep- 
aration of  the  Reformed  Church  here  from  the  control 
of  the  Church  in  Holland.  In  the  report  of  the  Coetus 
to  Holland  in  1789  it  is  stated  that  the  several  denom- 
inations were  forming  Classes  and  Synods,  and  that  the 
same  thing  would  become  necessary  for  the  Reformed 
Church,  in  which  case  the  name  Coetus  would  be  too 
limited.  The  hope  is  expressed  that  the  Church  in 
Holland  would  realize  this. 


94  EARLY    HISTORY 

The  members  of  the  Coetus  also  felt  the  need  of  a 
school  in  which  to  train  young  men  for  the  ministry. 
(See  Chapter  on  Educational  Movements.) 

In  the  course  of  time  the  correspondence  with  the 
mother  Church  in  Holland  became  more  and  more  un- 
satisfactory. It  took  nearly  a  whole  year  to  send  a 
letter  from  here  to  Holland  and  receive  a  reply.  After 
the  minutes  had  been  written  out  and  a  copy  made,  the 
secretary  had  to  make  a  journey  to  Philadelphia  to 
learn  when  a  ship  would  sail  for  Holland  or  England. 
Frequently  there  was  a  delay  of  several  weeks  on  this 
account,  and  then  ships  did  not  ply  during  the  winter 
on  account  of  the  ice.  In  this  way  the  minutes  of  a 
meeting  in  September  or  October  could  at  times  not  be 
sent  from  Philadelphia  before  the  following  spring. 
Then  letters  were  sometimes  lost  through  shipwreck  or 
other  causes.  All  these  facts  caused  great  delay,  ser- 
ious annoyance  and  damage  to  religious  work.  All 
the  ministers  felt  that  the  time  w^as  drawing  near  when 
the  American  Church  must  become  independent  of  the 
Church  in  Holland.  At  the  same  time  the  brotherly 
kindness  received  from  the  latter  in  the  form  of  sym- 
pathy and  practical  help  in  money  and  ministers  was 
never  forgotten  or  unappreciated. 

Finally  the  crisis  was  reached  in  1791.  It  was 
evident  to  all  that  if  the  Church  were  to  prosper  it 
must  be  independent  of  foreign  supervision,  and  have 
the  power  to  ordain  a  native  ministry.  Many  of  the 
foreign  ministers  were  no  longer  suited  for  the  work 
here,  nor  could  a  sufficient  number  always  be  secured. 
The  population  had  largely  increased,  and  the  Church 
was  called  to  more  aggressive  work. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  95 

At  the  meeting  of  1791  at  Lancaster,  held  on  July 
27-28,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Coetus  has  the  right  at  all 
times  to  examine  and  ordain  those  who  offer  themselves 
as  candidates  for  the  ministry,  without  asking  or  wait- 
ing for  permission  to  do  so  from  the  Fathers  in  Holland. 

'' i?^so/iW,  That  the  Coetus  each  time  furnish  the 
Reverend  Fathers  with  a  report  of  their  proceedings, 
accompanied  with  suitable  explanations  when  it  is 
necessary." 

This  was  a  declaration  of  independence.  (At  this 
meeting  the  death  of  Dr.  C.  D.  Weyberg  was  an- 
nounced.) One  step  more  was  needed,  and  that  was 
taken  at  the  meeting  of  the  following  year,  1792,  at 
Philadelphia,  May  6-7,  when  a  committee,  consisting 
of  Revs.  Hendel,  Pomp  and  Blumer,  was  appointed  to 
frame  a  constitution  for  a  Synod.  Then  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Coetus,  April  27,  1793,  at  Lancaster,  the 
constitution  reported  by  the  above  committee  was 
adopted,  and  the  Coetus  thereby  changed  to  a  S>mod. 
Thirteen  of  the  twenty-two  ministers  were  present.  Of 
the  absent  ones  all  except  three  had  sent  excuses. 
Thus  the  separation  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States  from  the  Church  in  Holland  was  now 
complete.  The  new  Synod  included  22  ministers,  178 
congregations  and  about  15,000  communicant  mem- 
bers. The  number  of  the  congregations  shows  the 
growth  of  the  Church,  which  now  entered  upon  a  new 
era. 


96  EARLY    HISTORY 


20. 
ELDERS  AT  COETUS. 

At  the  organization  of  the  Coetus  in  1747  there 
were  present  27  elders  and  only  four  ministers.  The 
Coetus  always  consisted  of  ministers  and  elders.  At 
the  second  meeting  in  1748  it  was  resolved  that  each 
elder  coming  to  Coetus  should  present  a  certificate 
signed  by  all  the  members  of  the  consistory.  The  cer- 
tificates were  to  be  preserved  for  all  time,  so  that  no 
one  might  complain  about  what  might  be  transacted. 
A  form  of  certificate  for  elders  was  adopted,  which  con- 
tained the  statement  that  whatever  the  elder,  together 
with  the  pastor,  would  ''present,  transact,  resolve  and 
subscribe  (except  what  is  contrary  to  our  Reformed 
Church  and  doctrine),'^  should  have  as  much  value  and 
force  among  them  as  if  each  one  had  been  present  and 
acted  in  like  manner. 

In  the  course  of  time  a  dispute  arose  whether  the 
elders  should  have  a  vote.  The  number  of  elders 
being  so  much  larger  than  that  of  the  ministers,  it  was 
feared  the  former  might  take  matters  into  their  own 
hands  and  outvote  the  ministers.  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter, 
who  was  the  president  of  the  Coetus  during  several 
years,  was  charged  with  having  at  one  time  allowed  the 
elders  to  vote,  and  then  again  refused  this  right.  But 
the  fact  was  that  he  was  acting  under  instructions  from 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  97 

Holland,  and  the  blame  rested  with  the  Fathers  there. 
In  the  course  of  time  the  elders  always  enjoyed  the 
right  of  voting  at  all  ecclesiastical  meetings.  In  our 
time  there  is  no  danger  of  the  elders  outvoting  the  min- 
isters. There  is  one  elder  sent  to  Classis  from  each 
pastoral  charge,  but  there  are  always  some  unemployed 
ministers  and  some  who  are  engaged  in  other  lines  of 
work  than  the  active  pastorate  (such  as  professors,  edi- 
tors, officers  of  various  boards,  etc.),  and  all  such  have 
the  right  of  voting.  Besides,  the  charges  are  seldom 
all  represented  by  elders. 

In  the  early  days,  as  at  present,  it  was  difficult  to 
have  the  elders  remain  until  the  close  of  the  Coetus. 
In  1770  it  is  stated  that  some  of  them  had  been  absent 
from  home  for  more  than  a  week,  and  some  had  to 
travel  80-100  miles  to  their  homes.  For  this  reason 
some  were  dismissed  after  the  important  business  had 
been  transacted.  In  our  day  elders  do  not  like  to 
remain  long  on  account  of  their  business.  Some  com- 
plain that  the  ministers  ^'  talk  too  much.^' 

The  custom  of  asking  the  elders  at  the  meetings  of 
the  Classes  whether  the  ministers  were  faithfully  per- 
forming their  duties  was  introduced  at  an  early  date  by 
the  Coetus.  The  elders  answered  frequently  with  a 
frankness  which  would  be  surprising  in  these  days. 
They  often  brought  complaints  of  serious  character 
against  the  ministers.  Unfortunately  the  complaints 
were  frequently  in  reference  to  the  conduct  of  the  pas- 
tors. These  complaints  and  charges  were  investigated 
by  the  Coetus,  and  in  some  instances  they  were  found 
to  be  either  untrue  or  the  result  of  misunderstandings. 
But  at  times  they  were  only  too  true. 


98  EARLY   HISTORY 

In  1760  the  elders  of  Rev.  John  Waldschmid 
stated  that  they  were  satisfied  with  his  preaching,  but 
desired  that  he  might  be  more  diligent  in  family  visita- 
tion, and  more  prudent  in  his  general  conduct. 

In  the  same  year  it  w^as  reported  that  Rev.  Mr. 
Stoy  had  kidnapped  his  w^ife,  but  an  examination 
show^ed  that  it  was  a  slander.  Mr.  Stoy  was  married  in 
the  presence  of  his  wife's  parents  and  three  ministers. 

Rev.  C.  M.  Stapel,  of  Amwell,  N.  J.,  took  an  orig- 
inal way  of  securing  a  wdfe.  He  arranged  a  lottery  for 
the  purpose.  He  prepared  fifteen  cards,  upon  which 
were  the  names  of  so  many  ladies,  of  whom  one  was  to 
be  selected  as  his  wife.  He  asked  the  consistory  to  be 
a  party  to  this  scheme,  but  the  record  states  that  ^'  no 
one  w-as  simple  enough  to  fall  in  with  his  scheme." 
He  even  threatened  to  compel  them  by  the  aid  of  a 
justice.  Two  elders  brought  a  complaint  to  Coetus  in 
1764.  They  stated  that  the  minister  passed  his  time 
partly  in  drinking,  partly  in  thinking  of  the  women 
and  partly  in  practising  medicine.  We  are  not  told 
whether  this  man  secured  a  wife. 

In  1768  Elder  William  Bausman,  in  the  name  of 
27  members  of  the  church  at  Lancaster,  made  com- 
plaint before  Coetus  against  Dr.  William  Hendel,  the 
pastor,  who  in  this  year  was  president  of  the  Coetus. 
The  difficulty  arose  from  the  fact  that  Dr.  Hendel  was 
supplying  the  people  at  Pequea,  and  the  matter  was 
properly  adjusted. 

In  1769  an  elder  complained  that  Rev.  Mr.  Witt- 
ner  came  late  to  church,  neglected  the  instruction  of 
the  children  and  made  no  house  visitations. 


OF  THE   REFOEMED    CHURCH.  99 

In  the  same  year  complaint  was  made  that  Rev. 
Mr.  Lange  would  not  baptize  a  child  unless  he  had 
been  paid  in  advance,  and  that  he  had  given  the  com- 
munion to  unchaste  persons. 

In  1790  Elder  Sebastian  Mueller,  of  Germantown, 
accused  his  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Fahring,  with  having  ^^  in 
a  sly  manner  eloped  with  Mueller's  daughter."  The 
Coetus  declared  that  although  Rev.  Mr.  Fahring  had 
some  cause  for  his  action,  yet  his  way  of  entering  into 
wedlock  was  very  offensive  and  irregular. 

In  1771  Hain's  church  in  Berkg  county  com- 
plained that  Rev.  John  Waldschmid  "  had  been  some- 
what lazy  and  negligent."  For  this  reason  the  church 
attendance  had  decreased. 


100  EARLY    HISTORY 


21. 

"CENSURA  MORUM." 

At  the  annual  sessions  of  the  Coetus  one  of  the 
items  of  business  was  the  ^^  Censura  Worum."  This 
Latin  term  means  an  investigation  of  the  conduct  of 
ministers.  This  examination  was  held  without  the 
presence  of  the  elders.  It  was  a  kind  of  executive  ses- 
sion. The  ruinutes  of  1755  tell  us  that  this  investiga- 
tion was  held  "  in  love,  yet  with  earnestness,  and  it 
was  continued  from  the  oldest  to  the  youngest  minister, 
according  to  the  Church  Order."  We  are  told  further 
that  the  work  was  completed  to  the  satisfaction  of  all. 
No  serious  complaints  were  preferred  against  any  of 
the  ministers.  The  record  goes  on  to  state  :  "  May  it 
now  please  our  Master  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ  to  be- 
gin, continue  and  graciously  complete  in  us  His  ^  cen- 
sura  morum,'  revealing  the  whole  heart,  so  tliat  in  the 
future  with  holy  fear  we  may  walk  circumspectly  be- 
fore Jehovah's  face  in  wisdom,  and  thus  become  wiser, 
humbler,  more  edifying,  more  useful  and  more  Christ- 
like in  thought,  speech  and  act,  and  thus  blessed,  may 
learn  to  labor  and  be  a  blessing  unto  others.'^ 

These  statements  and  facts  give  us  an  insight  into 
the  character  of  the  early  Reformed  ministers.  Whilst 
there  were  a  number  of  unworthy  ministers  outside  the 
Coetus,  the  character  of  those  who  were  members   of 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  101 

this  body  was  watched  with  zealous  care.  It  would 
have  been  well  had  this  practice  been  continued  until 
the  present  time.  It  would  have  saved  the  Church 
from  many  scandals,  as  a  result  of  the  bad  character  of 
ministers.  It  would  be  a  good  practice  in  the  present 
day.  As  it  is,  it  is  difficult  to  secure  action  when  there 
is  complaint  against  a  minister.  It  is  usually  a  deli- 
cate matter  to  bring  charges,  and  the  Classis  will  not 
take  action  in  the  absence  of  a  plaintiff.  It  is  true,  it 
may  take  action  upon  a  common  rumor,  but  this  is  sel- 
dom done.  The  good  character  of  the  minister  is  so 
essential  to  his  usefulness  that  great  harm  often  results 
from  official  indiffi?rence  in  this  matter. 

The  several  Methodist  Churches  have  a  form  of 
business  at  their  annual  conferences  which  corresponds 
with  the  Censura  Morum  of  the  Reformed  fathers. 
The  character  of  each  minister  is  inquired  into.  If  we 
are  correctly  informed,  such  questions  as  these  are 
asked  :  Is  his  moral  character  correct  ?  Does  he  pay 
his  debts  ?  etc.  We  repeat,  we  believe  this  system  to 
be  a  good  one.  In  the  absence  of  it  official  action  is 
frequently  delayed  until  much  harm  has  been  done. 


102  EARLY   HISTORY 


22. 

METHOD  OF  VOTING. 

In  our  day  we  employ  several  methods  of  voting 
in  meetings — acclamation,  ballot  and  rising.  In  Switz- 
erland it  has  been  the  custom  to  vote  by  '^  meer" — 
raising  the  right  hand.  In  this  way  Rev.  Michael 
Schlatter,  who  was  a  Swiss  by  birth,  took  the  vote  of 
the  people  in  1746  in  Pennsylvania  on  the  subject  of 
accepting  his  plan  of  organizing  congregations  into  pas- 
toral charges.  In  this  way  he  had  the  Reformed  peo- 
ple of  Philadelphia  on  September  18,  1746,  vote  upon 
three  questions  : 

1.  Whether  they  desired  to  have  a  regular  and 
settled  pastor,  who  should  preach  every  Sunday. 

2.  Whether  they  would  grant  him  a  fixed  salary 
and  pay  it  regularly. 

3.  Whether  they  would  support  a  minister  jointly 
with  the  congregation  at  Germantown. 

All  the  questions  were  decided  unanimously  in  the 
affirmative  by  '^  meer'^ — raising  of  hands.  Mr.  Schlat- 
ter then  at  once  asked  the  people  to  sign  their  names  to 
a  subscription  list,  with  the  amount  each  one  was  wil- 
ling to  give  per  year  towards  pastor's  salary.  Sixty- 
nine  persons  subscribed  30  pounds,  or  |80.  Besides 
this  Mr.  Schlatter  asked  that  sixteen  men  pledge  them- 
selves to  see  that  the  above  amount  would  be  paid  an- 
nually without  fail.     This  was  done. 


OF  THE   EEFORMED   CHURCH.  103 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  clay  Mr.  Schlatter 
went  to  Germautowu  and  had  the  Reformed  people 
there  vote  upon  the  same  questions  as  had  been  done 
in  the  morning  in  Philadelphia,  that  is,  also  by  "  meer," 
raising  of  hands.  The  plan  was  adopted  unanimously, 
and  some  sixty  men  subscribed  25  pounds,  about  $66. 
In  this  way  Philadelphia  and  Germantown  were  united 
into  a  pastoral  charge  in  1746. 

On  a  later  occasion  Mr.  Schlatter  employed  a  dif- 
ferent method  of  voting.  During  the  controversy  in 
the  church  in  Philadelphia  on  one  occasion  during  the 
service  he  asked  those  who  were  in  favor  of  him  to  put 
on  their  hats.     This  was  a  novel  way  of  taking  a  vote. 

It  is  generally  customary  that  in  case  of  a  tie  the 
president  casts  the  deciding  vote.  Otherwise  the  pres- 
ident does  not  vote.  The  Coetus  of  1756  decided  that 
in  case  of  a  tie  vote  the  president  shall  cast  a  double 
vote. 


104  EARLY    HISTORY 


23. 
EARLY  CHURCH  QUARRELS. 

The  Cliiirch  on  earth  is  called  the  Church  militant, 
because  she  is  fighting  against  satan  and  sin.  But  it 
sometimes  happens  that  church  members  fight  against 
each  other.  In  such  conflicts  the  common  enemy  is 
usually  forgotten.  We  believe  that  if  it  is  possible  for 
satan  to  laugh,  he  does  so  when  Christians  fight  each 
other.  Church  fights  are  the  result  of  human  weak- 
ness, and  are  deplorable.  A  vast  deal  of  harm  is  done 
by  them. 

The  first  quarrel  in  the  Reformed  Church  in  Penn- 
sylvania occurred  at  Skippack  about  the  year  1727  or 
1728.  A  Reformed  congregation  had  been  organized 
in  1725,  and  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  was  the  pastor.  All 
went  well  until  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Geo.  M.  Weiss  from 
Europe  on  October  2,  1727.  Weiss  at  once  opposed 
Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  on  the  ground  that  he  was  not  or- 
dained and  had  no  right  to  serve  as  a  minister.  The 
result  was  two  parties.  In  1727  a  small  log  church 
was  erected  at  Skippack  on  land  which  Mr.  Jacob 
ReiiF  owned.  Great  strife  existed  between  the  two 
parties.  On  March  10,  1728,  Rev.  AVeiss  and  his 
party  debarred  Rev.  Boehm  from  the  use  of  the  church, 
and  Mr.  B.  thereafter  for  some  years  preached  in  pri- 
vate houses. 


OF   THE   REFOBMED   CHURCH.  105 

In  order  to  allay  the  opposition  to  Mr.  Boehm  on 
account  of  his  not  being  ordained,  he  was  by  order  of 
the  Fathers  in  Holland  ordained  by  a  committee  of- 
Dutch  ministers  in  New  York  on  Nov.  23, 1729.  Rev. 
Mr.  AVeiss  was  present,  and  he  and  Mr.  Boehm  were 
reconciled,  and  Mr.  Weiss  in  writing  promised  to  re- 
main away  from  Skippack  and  not  to  interfere  with 
any  of  Boehm's  congregations.  But  he  was  not  sin- 
cere, for  he  continued  to  oppose  him  at  Skippack  and 
elsewhere  as  before. 

The  feud  was  aggravated  by  the  refusal  of  Mr. 
ReifFto  account  for  the  money  which  he  had  collected 
in  Europe  for  Skippack  and  Philadelphia  in  1730-32. 
(See  Chapter  on  Money  not  Going  to  the  Right  Place.) 
Finally  after  preaching  a  long  time  in  private  houses 
Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  upon  his  own  responsibility  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  land  a  short  distance  below  Skippack, 
upon  which  the  church  known  as  Wentz's  church  was 
erejted  in  1762.  Mr.  Boehm's  party  had  been  reor- 
ganized into  a  congregation  a  few  years  before.  Reiff's 
party  continued  for  some  years  to  worship  in  the  origi- 
nal log  church,  but  finally  disbanded,  and  the  church 
was  demolished  in  1760.  Thus  ended  the  first  church 
quarrel. 

The  second  church  quarrel  occurred  in  the  congre- 
gation in  Philadelphia  in  1749,  and  continued  a  long 
time.  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  was  the  pastor.  Some 
difficulty  arose  between  him  and  the  consistory.  The 
probability  is  that  this  would  have  subsided  had  not 
the  newly-arrived  Rev.  John  C.  Steiner  come  upon  the 
scene  and  taken  a  hand  in  it.  Mr.  Steiner  came  to 
8 


106  EAELY    HISTORY 

Pennsylvania  in  September  of  1749,  and  was  received 
with  the  greatest  kindness  by  Eev.  Mr.  Schlatter.  He 
was  to  have  become  the  pastor  of  the  congregation  at 
Lancaster,  and  had  accepted  their  call.  It  had  already 
been  arranged  to  ,'send  horse  from  Lancaster  to  con- 
vey Mr.  Steiaer  from  j Philadelphia  to  that  place.  But 
he  was  taken  ill,  and  'upon  his  recovery  remained  in 
Philadelphia.  There  is  no  doubt  that  his  presence  en- 
couraged the  opponents  of  Schlatter.  The  consistory 
undertook  to  dismiss  ^Mr.  Schlatter  on  October  5, 1749. 
The  congregation  protested  in  a  statement  which  was 
signed  by  eighty  members.  The  consistory  was  de- 
posed and  a  new  one  elected.  Mr.  Schlatter,  rather 
than  have  a  quarrel,  was  disposed  to  withdraw,  but  his 
friends  insisted^that  he  remain.  The  matter  was  in- 
vestigated by  the  Coetus  on  October  21,  1749,  and 
their  decision  was  unanimously  in  favor  of  Mr.  Schlat- 
ter. The  decision  was  signed  by  the  members  of  the 
Coetus,  including  Mr.  Steiner.  But  the  old  consistory 
ignored  the  Coetus,  and  maintained  its  position.  It 
now  created  a  scandal  by  circulating  unfavorable  re- 
ports about  the  early  character  of  Mr.  Schlatter  in 
Europe.  Mr.  Steiner  has  been  credited  with  bringing 
the  facts  upon  which  the*accusation  was  based  to  the 
notice  of  Mr.  Schlatter's  opponents. 

These  opponents  now  elected  Rev.  Mr.  Steiner  as 
pastor,  and  the  result] was  two  factions,  each  one  hav- 
ing a  pastor  at  its  head,  and  there  was  much  strife. 
It  is  reported  that  110  members  adhered  to  Schlatter 
and  140  to  Steiner.  One  published  report  states  that 
Mr.  Steiner  entered  the  pulpit  on  a  Saturday  evening 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  107 

and  remained  in  it  all  night,  ?o  as  to  be  sure  to  hold  it 
on  Sunday  morning.  Another  report  says  that  one  of 
the  pastors  entered  the  church  on  a  Saturday  evening 
and  remained  in  it  all  night. 

Matters  came  to  a  point  on  Sunday,  January  14, 
1750,  when  both  parties  tried  to  hold  services.  There 
was  much  disputing.  When  one  minister  tried  to 
preach  or  pray,  his  opponents  commenced  to  sing. 
This  was  kept  up  for  about  two  hours.  A  published 
report  of  this  meeting  states  that  it  "  was  a  scandal  in 
the  eyes  of  the  negroes  and  heathen.'^ 

Finally  both  parties  became  tired  of  the  contro- 
versy and  appealed  to  Thomas  Lawrence,  mayor  of  the 
city,  William  Allen,  recorder,  and  Benjamin  Shoe- 
maker, an  alderman,  to  aid  them  in  adjusting  their  dif- 
ficulties. These  three  gentlemen,  after  considering  the 
matter,  suggested  that  the  whole  trouble  should  be 
submitted  to  a  committee  of  six  impartial  gentlemen. 
Both  parties  accepted  this  proposition,  and  agreed  to 
close  the  church  pending  a  settlement.  A  committee 
was  appointed,  which  on  March  6,  1750,  decided  in 
favor  of  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  and  his  friends,  and  thus 
ended  the  second  serious  congregational  quarrel  in  the 
Reformed  Church  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  Steiner  party  wanted  neither  judges,  ministers 
or  lawyers  on  the  committee.  They  claimed  that  the 
judges  were  too  high,  the  ministers  could  not  be  impar- 
tial and  the  lawyers  were  not  conscientious  enough. 
Some  thirty  persons  were  proposed.  Finally  six  men 
were  agreed  upon.  One  of  them  was  an  Episcopalian 
and  five  of  them  were  Quakers,  and  all  were   business 


108  EARLY   HISTORY 

men.  They  were :  William  Clyner,  ThoDias  Lord, 
Hugh  Roberts,  John  Mifflin,  John  Smith  and  Abel 
James.  After  deliberating  about  three  weeks,  the  com- 
mittee on  March  6,  1750,  decided  unanimously  in  favor 
of  Mr.  Schlatter  and  his  party.  Mr.  Schlatter's  char- 
acter was  vindicated.  The  old  consistory  was  directed 
to  convey  the  church  property  on  Sassafras  (Race) 
street  to  the  Schlatter  party,  and  the  latter  was  to  as- 
sume the  debt  of  800  pounds.  It  was  also  directed 
that  all  law  suits  be  discontinued  by  the  plaintiffs  in 
each  case.  Some  persons  had  been  prosecuted.  The 
names  of  the  creditors  were  given,  together  with  the 
amounts  due  each.  The  largest  creditor  was  William 
Allen,  esq.,  whose  claim  was  600  pounds.  Benjamin 
Loxley  was  entitled  to  96  pounds.  The  other  amounts 
were  small. 

The  Steiner  party  had  pressed  its  charges  against 
the  moral  character  of  Schlatter.  In  reply  it  was  ar- 
gued that  these  charges  were  "  superannuated'^  (out- 
lawed, too  old),  and  the  example  of  Christ's  action  in 
the  case  of  the  women  taken  in  adultery  was  cited. 
But  the  Steiner  party  replied  "  that  the  woman  had 
not  been  a  minister." 

The  committee  of  six  did  not  charge  anything  for 
their  services,  but  they  directed  that  each  party  in  the 
case  should  pay  one-half  of  the  board  bill.  We  have 
no  means  of  knowing  how  much  this  amounted  to,  but 
since  five  of  the  committee  were  Quakers,  we  may  be 
certain  that  it  was  moderate  and  did  not  include  any 
items  for  cigars, .  champagne,  whiskey,  etc.,  like  the 
bills  of  modern  investigation  committees  on  the  part  of 
the  Legislature  or  Congress. 


OP   THE   REFOEMED   CHURCH.  109 

The  unfortunate  controversy  had  become  a  public 
scandal.  Saur's  paper  published  several  articles  on  the 
subject.  From  them  it  appears  that  then  already 
there  were  people  like  many  in  our  day,  who  greatly 
enjoyed  church  quarrels.  Mr.  Saur  was  charged  with 
being  one-sided.  Rev.  Richard  Peters,,  an  Episcopal 
clergyman,  who  was  secretary  of  the  Penns  and  of  the 
governor  of  Pennsylvania,  examined  the  case  carefully 
in  the  interest  of  religion,  and  published  a  statement  on 
April  6,  1750.  He  exonorated  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter 
completely,  and  declared  that  he  was  severely  slan- 
dered. Mr.  Peters  says  that  the  enemies  of  Schlatter 
^'  had  ingratiated  themselves  into  the  good  opinion  of  a 
very  malignant  and  credulous  printer  called  Saur,  of 
Germantown,  and  persuaded  him  to  publish  their  vile, 
malignant  and  scandalous  statement  of  a  part  of  their 
case.'^  Mr.  Peters  states  further  that  he  advised  Mr. 
Schlatter  and  his  friends  not  to  reply  to  the  statements 
published  in  Saur's  paper. 

Rev.  Mr.  Steiner  and  his  party  now  withdrew  from 
the  congregation,  organized  another  one  and  erected  a 
church  on  Race  street.  The  result  was  two  weak  con- 
gregations. Mr.  Steiner  served  the  new  congregation 
about  two  years,  when  he  resigned  on  account  of  insuf- 
ficient support.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  C. 
Rubel,  one  of  the  six  young  men  whom  Mr.  Schlatter 
brought  from  Europe  in  1752. 

In  1755  the  Coetus  undertook  to  reunite  both  par- 
ties. Both  Mr.  Schlatter  and  Mr.  Rubel  agreed  to 
resign  and  withdraw,  which  they  did.  They  preached 
their  farewell  sermons  on  April  27,  1755. 


110  EARLY   HISTORY 

Singularly  in  1759  the  reunited  congregation  once 
more  called  Rev.  John  C.  Steiner,  the  former  rival  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter,  to  the  pastorate.  He  was  now 
more  successful  and  labored  with  acceptance  until  his 
death  three  years  later,  on  July  6,  1762,  at  the  early 
age  of  55  years.  He  was  buried  in  the  graveyard  in 
what  is  now  Franklin  Square. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  Ill 


24. 
CHARETY  SCHOOLS. 

The  early  settlers  of  Pennsylvania  and  founders  of 
the  Keformed  Church  were  poor.  They  had  been  poor 
before  they  left  the  Fatherland  along  the  Rhine  in 
Germany.  During  the  frequent  wars  their  homes 
were  devastated  and  their  property  destroyed.  Many 
had  only  enough  to  pay  their  passage  across  the  ocean, 
and  others  were  sent  over  as  objects  of  charity.  After 
their  arrival  they  had  their  hands  full  in  establishing 
humble  homes  and  clearing  land  for  the  support  of 
their  families. 

Under  these  circumstances  they  could  do  very  lit- 
tle to  establish  schools  for  the  instruction  of  the  chil- 
dren. Here  and  there  a  few  schools  were  started  by 
congregations  at  an  early  day,  but  these  were  not  suffi- 
cient for  the  Avidely  scattered  people.  In  consequence 
many  children  grew  up  in  ignorance.  It  was  a  sad 
condition.  This  was  one  of  the  complaints  in  the  ap- 
peals of  our  fathers  for  help. 

In  the  year  1746  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  was  by 
the  Reformed  Church  of  Holland  sent  to  Pennsylvania 
to  organize  and  aid  the  Reformed  people.  In  the  next 
year,  1747,  he  organized  the  Coetus  or  Classis.  He 
traveled  over  8000  miles  from  1747  to  1751  in  serving 
the  people.     In  1751  the  Classis  sent  him  to  Europe  to 


112 


EARLY    HISTORY 


represent  the  destitute  condition  of  the  Reformed  peo- 
ple to  their  brethren  in  Holland,  Germany  and  other 
states.  He  made  a  pathetic  appeal  in  behalf  of  the 
people,  and  met  with  a  generous  response.  A  con- 
siderable sum  was  raised  to  establish  schools  and  to  aid 
congregations.  Mr.  Schlatter  returned  to  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1752  and  brought  six  young  ministers  with 
him. 

The  work  of  raising  money  to  establish  schools 
among  the  Germans  in  Pennsylvania  was  continued  in 
England   and   Scotland.       In    November,    1753,    Mr. 


Schoolhouse  at  Reading,  Pa. 

Schlatter  again  went  to  Europe  in  the  interest  of  the 
school  movement.  A  society  had  been  formed  in  Lon- 
don to  further  the  plan.  A  superintendent  of  the 
schools  was  needed,  and  the  society  elected  Mr.  Schlat- 
ter on  April  20,  1754.  Accordingly  he  resigned  as  a 
pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church  and  commissioner  of 
the  Holland  Synods  on  May  14,  1754. 

Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  returned  to   Pennsylvania   on 
September  28,  1754,  and  soon  after  set  to  work  to   or- 


OF   THE   REFOEMED   CHUECH.  113 

ganize  schools.  A  number  of  prominent  men  of  Penn- 
sylvania were  appointed  as  trustees  of  the  schools. 
Charity  schools  were  established  at  Reading,  Lancaster, 
York,  Easton,  New  Hanover,  Skippack  and  other 
places.  The  one  in  Reading  was  organized  by  Mr. 
(Schlatter  on  March  5,  1755.  Considerable  good  was 
done  by  the  schools,  but  they  fell  far  short  of  expecta- 
tions. On  the  whole  they  may  be  called  a  failure. 
The  support  expected  from  Europe  was  small  and  slow 
in  coming.  A  large  part  of  the  money  collected 
abroad  w^as  there  invested  and  only  the  income  sent 
here.  By  and  by  the  people  became  disgusted,  and 
some  refused  the  small  support  allowed  them.  There 
were  several  reasons  for  this.  One  was  that  the  peo- 
ple in  Pennsylvania  had  been  represented  in  England 
(not  by  Schlatter)  as  being  very  ignorant  and  next  to 
barbarians.  William  Parsons  in  a  letter  addressed  to 
Secretary  Peters,  under  date  of  October  18,  1754,  re- 
ferring to  the  Pennsylvania  Germans  in  what  he  calls 
the  back  settlements,  says  :  "  I  am  sometimes  ready  to 
question  whether  it  be  men  or  brutes  that  these  gener- 
ous benefactors  (Englishmen)  are  about  to  civilize.'^ 
Some  Englishmen  feared  that  such  people,  unless  edu- 
cated, would  become  dangerous  to  the  English  interests 
in  Pennsylvania.  In  the  second  place  the  German 
settlers  were  made  to  believe  that  the  British  sup- 
ported the  schools  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  the 
English  language  arbong  the  people  here.  This  view 
is  supported  by  a  statement  of  Dr.  William  Smith, 
head  of  the  academy  in  Philadelphia,  in  a  letter  to 
Rev.  S.  Chandler,  of  London,    dated   May   30,    1754. 


114  EAIIL.Y  HISTORY 

He  says  it  was  a  wise  thing  to  teach  the  English  lan- 
guage to  the  Germans  in  order  to  unite  them  with  the 
cause  of  England,  and  to  prevent  them  from  being 
allied  with  the  French.  He  thought  this  was  one  of 
the  most  useful  efforts  which  the  British  could  make. 

The  Germans  were  very  jealous  of  their  language, 
and  were  easily  aroused  upon  this  point.  Mr.  Saur, 
the  editor  of  the  only  German  paper  published  here 
then,  led  off  in  circulating  this  view  of  the  matter. 
During  this  agitation  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  received  a 
large  share  of  abuse,  because  some  believed  that  he 
was  playing  into  the  hands  of  the  English  government. 
It  was  all  wrong,  but  when  -people  are  once  aroused 
they  do  not  stop  long  to  consider  the  right  or  wrong  of 
a  matter.  In  this  way  the  usefulness  of  Mr.  Schlatter 
was  greatly  impaired. 

The  charity  schools  as  such  came  to  an  end  about 
1759,  when  the  last  foreign  support  was  given.  Some 
of  the  congregations  now  undertook  the  support  and 
management  of  the  schools  themselves,  and  continued 
them  a  long  time.  The  one  in  Reading  was 'continued 
until  near  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  until  the 
death  of  the  last  teacher,  John  Roland,  who  died  in 
1849,  after  having  served  over  fifty  years.  The  school- 
house,  which  had  been  erected  in  1776  at  the  corner  of 
Seventh  and  Washington  streets,  was  sold  in  1850. 
Only  one  of  the  scholars  of  this  school  is  still  living, 
Mr.  John  F.  Moers,  of  Reading. 


OF   THE   REFORMED    CHURCH.  115 


25. 

PASTORAL  SUPPORT. 

The  early  ministers  before  and  during  the  Coetal 
period  had  a  very  meagre  support.  The  people  were 
very  poor  and  had  but  little  money.  They  did  what 
they  could  to  support  the  ministers,  but  they  lacked 
the  ability.  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  preached  at  a  num- 
ber of  places  from  1720  to  1725,  and  received  only 
about  §200.  He  never  received  anything  like  a  living 
salary,  and  supported  his  family  largely  by  labor  on 
his  farm.  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  reported,  at  the 
close  of  his  work,  that  he  had  not  only  expended  all  he 
ever  received,  but  also  $1000  which  his  mother  had 
given  him.  The  early  Reformed  ministers  almost 
without  exception  were  not  only  poor,  but  many  really 
suffered  from  want.  There  are  frequent  complaints  on 
this  account.  The  ministers  practised  great  self-denial 
in  preaching  the  gospel,  and  frequently  endured  severe 
hardships. 

At  the  request  of  Rev.  P.  H.  Dorsius,  the  Dutch 
Reformed  minister  in  Bucks  county,  who  was  at  the 
time  serving  as  a  kind  of  overseer  of  the  German  Re- 
formed churches  in  Pennsylvania  for  the  Holland 
Synods,  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  during  the  months  of 
January,  February  and  March  of  1740  made  a  special 
tour  of  the  congregations  to  ascertain   what   each   one 


116  EARLY    HISTORY 

was  willing  to  contribute  annually  for  the  support  of 
pastors.  On  March  30,  1740,  Mr.  Boehm  made  a  full 
report  to  Mr.  Dorsius.  The  pledges  were  signed  by 
the  elders  and  deacons.  The  congregations  promised 
to  contribute  the  following  amounts  for  the  support  of 
ministers  sent  by  the  Holland  Synods.  We  give  the 
names  as  they  were  then  spelled  : 

Falckner  Schwam,  10  pounds  in  money  and  20 
bushels  of  oats. 

Schip  Bach,  10  pounds  in  money  and  20  bushels  of 
oats. 

Oley,  10  pounds,  20  bushels  of  oats. 

Maxadani,  4  pounds. 

Gagushi,  no  resolution. 

Dolpihacke,  15  pounds,  50  bushels  of  oats. 

Canastocka,  called  Cocolica,  6  pounds,  20  bushels 
of  oats. 

Bergkirche,  8  pounds,  25  bushels  of  oats. 

Lancaster,  15  pounds. 

Philadelphia,  10  pounds. 

Germandon,  including  Weitmarge,  10  pounds. 

New  Goshenhoppen,  10  pounds. 

Grosse  Schwam,  5  pounds. 

Saconkrik,  5  pounds. 

Total,  123  pounds  in  money  and  165  bushels  of 
oats.  A  pound  was  worth  about  $2.60  in  Pennsyl- 
vania money. 

The  people  promised  so  much  oats  because  they 
could  spare  that  better  than  money.  They  raised  con- 
siderable oats,  but  could  not  readily  turn  it  into  money. 
Besides  the  ministers  could  use  the   oats  as  feed   for 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  117 

their  horses.  (Id  the  early  history  of  Virginia  the  sal- 
aries of  ministers  were  largely  paid  in  tobacco.) 

The  people  at  White  Marsh  state  that  they  were 
very  weak  in  numbers  and  poor,  and  would  unite  with 
Germantown. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Reformed  congregation  at  Lan- 
caster on  January  28,  1750,  it  was  resolved  ^^  that  the 
pastor  (Rev.  Ludwig  F.  Vock)  shall  for  the  year  re- 
ceive 40  pounds  in  cash,  Pennsylvania  currency.  For 
proclamation  and  marriage  he  shall  receive  7  shillings 
and  6  pence.  For  preaching  a  funeral  sermon,  from 
those  who  are  able,  5  shillings.  For  baptizing  chil- 
dren he  shall  receive  nothing.  In  addition  to  this  the 
pastor  shall  be  furnished  with  a  free  dwelling  house  ; 
also  six  cords  of  wood.  He  shall  also  have  four  Sab- 
baths free  to  preach  at  other  places,  viz.,  the  first  Sab- 
bath after  Easter,  the  first  after  AVhitsuntide,  on  St. 
Michael's  Day  and  on  Sabbath  after  New  Year.'' 
Wood  was  frequently  a  part  of  the  pastor's  salary. 
Such  was  the  case  with  the  pastors  at  Reading  until  a 
comparatively  recent  date.  In  1842  the  call  to  Rev. 
J.  C.  Bucher  included  ''  §600  in  money,  the  use  of  a 
house,  sufficient  fire  wood  for  his  family,  the  services 
of  a  physician  and  expenses  for  moving  to  Reading." 
In  1848  Rev.  A.  S.  Leinbach,  when  called  to  Reading, 
was  promised  $500  in  money,  a  house  rent  free  and  the 
free  service  of  a  physician. 

The  Coetus  frequently  complained  to  the  Fathers 
in  Holland  on  account  of  their  insufficient  support. 
In  1764  the  Coetus  pleaded  with  the  Fathers  in  Hol- 
land for  increased  support  and  five  or  six  more   minis- 


118  EARLY    HISTORY 

ters,  and  stated  that  if  their  request  was  denied  they 
would  have  to  abandon  the  Coetus.  Besides  the  pov- 
erty of  the  people,  they  svere  not  well  organized,  and 
some,  who  were  renters,  moved  around  a  good  deal. 
The  ministers  also  had  to  wait  a  long  time  for  the 
small  amounts  which  Avere  given  them.  The  allow- 
ances from  Holland  were  under  these  circumstances 
most  helpful,  and  were  gratefully  received. 

The  salaries  of  ministers  were  fixed  in  Holland  at 
450  Dutch  guilders  per  year.  This  was  equivalent  to 
67 J  pounds  sterling  (English  money),  or  $170  Penn- 
sylvania money.  In  1765  the  members  of  the  Coetus 
in  their  report  to  Holland  state  that  450  florins  is  "  too 
little  to  live  on,  and  too  much  to  die.'^  In  1766  Rev.  ^ 
J.  G.  Alsentz,  of  Germantown,  used  the  same  expres- 
sion in  reference  to  himself. 

During  the  Revolution  the  .ministers,  like  other 
people,  suffered  severely  through  the  depreciation  of 
the  paper  money  issued  by  Congress.  Good  money  the 
people  had  none,  and  the  paper  money  had  but  little 
value.  Paper  money  was  issued  in  such  amounts  that 
it  gradually  became  entirely  worthless.  Rev.  Stahl- 
schmid  complained  ^'  that  there  were  thousands  of  dol- 
lars due  him  on  his  salary,  but  as  sixty  or  seventy 
paper  dollars  were  equivalent  to  only  one  silver  dollar, 
he  could  for  all  this  money  scarcely  procure  a  new 
coat  for  himself.'^  Thompson  Westcott  states  that  the 
money  "  had  depreciated  in  some  articles  as  low  as 
three  thousand  per  cent.''  In  1780  the  hamlet  of 
Campbellstown,  Lebanon  county,  consisting  of  a  few 
small  houses  and  considerable  land,  was  sold  to  Robert 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  119 

Coleman  for  $90,000.  A  writer  says  :  "  This  seems 
like  an  extraordinary  price,^  but  the  currency  had  de- 
preciated very  much  at  that  time,  and  it  is  doubtful 
whether  a  horse  could  have  been  purchased  with  this 
money  five  years  later." 

People  were  by  lavv  compelled  to  accept  the  Conti- 
nental money.  In]1776  John  Baldwin  was  imprisoned 
in  Philadelphia  for  refusing  to  accept  this  kind  of 
money.  A  Mr.  Elliot  owed  him  600  pounds  and 
offered  to  pay  him  in  paper  money,  but  he  refused  to 
accept  it,  and  for  this  act|  he  was  imprisoned.  In 
March  of  1777  Stephen  Phipps  offered  to  pay  a  store 
bill  with  paper  money  to  William  Craig  in  Philadel- 
phia, but  Mr.  C.  refused  the^ money  on  the  ground  that 
he  had  more  of  that  kind  of  money  than  he  knew  what 
to  do  with.  When  Mr.  Phipps  tried  to  press  the  paper 
money  upon  Mr.  Craig,  he  was  knocked  down.  Phipps 
reported  his  experience  to  the  authorities.  We  cannot 
say  what  was  the  result.  Likely  Craig  was  punished. 
Compelling  people  to  accept  the  worthless  money  for 
their  goods  was  virtually  confiscating  their  property. 
Sometimes  necessity  knows) no  law. 

We  have  a  similar  instance  {of  depreciated  paper 
money  in  the  Southern  Confederacy  during  the  Civil 
War.  Some  time  before  the  collapse  of  the  Confeder- 
acy it  took  $1000  paper  money  to  purchase  a  pair  of 
boots  in  Richmond,  Va. 


120  EART.Y    HISTORY 


26. 

PASTORAL  WORK. 

By  pastoral  work  we  uuderstand  largely  the  work 
of  a  miDister  in  families.  The  Reformed  Church  has 
always  laid  much  stress  upon  this  part  of  the  minister's 
work.  In  the  year  1752  Rev.  Geo.  M.  Weiss  formu- 
lated a  set  of  rules  for  the  government  of  the  Coetus. 
We  have  no  evidence  that  the  rules  were  ever  adopted 
by  the  Coetus,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  rule  in 
reference  to  pastoral  visitation  expresses  the  views  of 
the  early  Reformed  people,  and  we  therefore  quote  it : 

'^That  yearly  house  visitation  be  maintained  in 
every  congregation  by  the  pastor  and  elder  thereof,  in 
which  the  people  shall  be  reminded  of  their  Christian 
duty,  and  be  stirred  up  to  improvement  of  life." 

In  these  few  words  is  set  forth  the  right  kind  of 
pastoral  visitation.  It  will  be  noticed  that  it  is  di- 
rected that  an  elder  shall  accompany  the  pastor  in  the 
performance  of  this  work.  This  work  has  always  been 
an  important  part  of  activity  in  the  Reformed  Church, 
and  wherever  it  is  faithfully  practised  there  are  blessed 
results.  Of  course  a  vast  deal  depends  upon  the  faith- 
fulness with  which  it  is  performed.  We  have  known 
a  considerable  number  of  Reformed  ministers  whose 
pastoral  visits  were  entirely  different  from  social  calls. 
As  a  rule  they  conducted  a  short  religious  service  with 


OF    THE    REFOEMED    CHURCH.  121 

the  family.  It  was  made  known  when  the  pastor 
would  come,  and  the  family  w^as  prepared  when  he  ar- 
rived. The  conversation  was  of  a  religious  character, 
and  the  pastor  was  free  to  speak  about  matters  of  the 
highest  concern.  There  is  always  a  blessing  in  such 
pastoral  visiting. 

But  not  all  pastoral  visitation  is  of  this  kind.  Con- 
ditions are  frequently  of  such  a  nature  that  the  pastors 
can  hardly  make  anything  but  a  social  call.  In  towns 
and  cities  it  is  extremely  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to 
meet  all  the  members  of  a  family  at  one  time.  During 
the  day  as  a  rule  only  the  mother  aud  perhaps  a  few 
small  children  are  at  home.  Perhaps  it  will  be  sug- 
gested that  the  best  time  is  in  the  evening.  Perhaps 
so ;  perhaps  not.  In  most  cases  the  majority  of  the 
family  are  also  away  from  home,  attending  meetings  of 
business,  lodges,  clubs,  etc.  Those  acquainted  with 
present  day  conditions  know  how  difficult  is  real  pas- 
toral work  in  our  cities.  In  the  country  it  is  not 
much  easier.  During  the  larger  part  of  the  year  farm- 
ers are  exceedingly  busy,  and  they  do  not  like  to  be 
interrupted  in  their  work  in  the  fields.  It  is  difficult 
to  secure  hired  help,  and  time  is  precious.  Then  the 
people  are  scattered  over  a  wide  territory,  and  not 
many  calls  can  be  made  in  a  day.  In  the  country  a 
call  from  the  pastor  is  hardly  considered  such  unless 
he  remains  long  enough  to  take  a  meal  with  the  family. 

Then  again  some  ministers  do  not  attach  much  im- 
portance to  family  visitation.  Where  it  is  practised, 
it  is  in  many  instances  coupled  with  business.  We  re- 
member one  minister  not  living  who  some  years  ago 
9 


122  EARLY   HISTORY 

readily  agreed  to  accompany  the  writer  in  canvassing 
for  the  church  I  paper,  because  he  said  he  could  at  the 
same  time  attend  to  his  pastoral  visitation.  We  called 
at  the  residences  of  most  of  the  families  in  his  charge, 
but  in  some  instances  we  found  no  one  at  home,  and  in 
many  others  we  saw  only  the  head  of  the  family  in  the 
field  or  in  the  barn,  and  yet  the  minister  called  it  pas- 
toral visitation. 


OF    THE   REFOEMED    CHURCH.  123 


27. 

PERQUISITES. 

By  the  term  perquisites  in  the  case  of  a  minister 
we  understand  voluntary  fees  given  him  for  marriages 
and  funerals,  besides  what  he  receives  as  regular  sal- 
ary. He  must  never  demand  fees  for  such  services, 
but  he  is  plainly  entitled  to  them,  especially  in  case  of 
funerals.  Frequently  a  minister  must  hire  a  convey- 
ance to  attend  a  funeral,  and  it  is  only  just  that  he 
should  be  paid  for  his  time  and  expenses.  But  there 
is  danger  that  the  perquisites  may  become  a  snare  to 
the  minister.  A  minister  once  complained  to  the 
writer  because  he  had  so  few  funerals.  We  know  of  a 
minister  w4io  advertises  his  services  for  baptism,  mar- 
riages and  funerals.  He  states  that  his  charges  are 
reasonable.  This  appears  very  improper.  Even  med- 
ical associations  do  not  allow  their  members  to  adver- 
tise beyond  their  "  shingles''  at  their  houses. 

In  the  very  beginning  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
Pennsylvania  this  subject  w^as  considered  and  a  rule 
adopted  regulating  perquisites.  At  the  second  meet- 
ing of  the  Coetus,  1748,  it  was  resolved  that  a  minis- 
ter should  expect  seven  shillings  and  six  pence  as  a 
marriage  fee,  and  five  shillings  as  a  funeral  fee.  But 
baptisms  were  to  be  without  any  remuneration. 

It  was  perhaps  well  that  the  amounts  to  be  paid 
for  these   services   were   thus   stipulated,   because  the 


124  EARLY    HISTORY 

ministers  were  then  all  poor.  Their  salaries  were  very 
small.  Many  had  to  work  on  farms  to  support  their 
families. 

In  more  modern  times  there  is  no  stipulation  as  to 
the  amount  to  be  paid  in  the  form  of  perquisites.  That 
is  left  optional  with  those  concerned.  As  in  the  begin- 
ning, ministers  are  not  to  be  paid  a  fee  for  baptisms. 
The  constitution  of  the  Reformed  Church  forbids  this. 
But  it  is  proper  that  people  should  pay  for  the  certifi- 
cate. It  cannot  be  expected  that  the  minister  should 
give  his  services  free  and  pay  for  the  certificates  be- 
sides.    There  must  be  reason  in  all  things. 

A  chapter  might  be  written  on  the  subject  of  wed- 
ding fees.  These  vary  greatly  in  amount,  according  to 
the  ability  and  sense  of  propriety  of  bridegrooms. 
Some  have  undertaken  to  fool  the  ministers  by  giving 
them  envelopes  containing  only  pieces  of  worthless 
paper.  This  is  supposed  to  be  an  act  of  smartness. 
It  is  only  meanness,  and  there  is  nothing  smart  in 
being  mean. 


OF    THE   REFORMED    CHURCH.  125 


28. 
THE  INDIAN  WAR. 

The  Reformed  people  especially  in  the  counties  east 
of  the  Susquehanna,  as  well  as  other  people,  suffered 
severely  during  the  French  and  Indian  war  from  1754 
to  1763.  It  was  a  struggle  between  France  and  Eng- 
land for  the  possession  of  North  America.  Unfortu- 
nately for  our  people  the  French  succeeded  in  enlisting 
many  of  the  Indian  tribes  for  their  cause,  and  these 
barbarians  made  frequent  incursions  into  Pennsylvania 
and  created  terrible  havoc.  Their  weapons  were  prin- 
cipally the  tomahawk  and  the  torch.  They  murdered 
many  people  and  burned  their  homes.  The  white  peo- 
ple lived  scattered,  and  were  mostly  without  means  of 
defense.  A  number  of  forts  were  erected  along  the 
Blue  Mountains  and  elsewhere  which  afforded  the  peo- 
ple some  shelter.  The  history  of  those  years  abounds 
in  sudden  attacks  by  Indians  upon  defenseless  families. 
Unfortunately  the  government  of  Pennsylvania,  which 
was  largely  controlled  by  Quakers  who  were  opposed 
to  war,  was  quite  indifferent  in  the  matter  of  relieving 
the  people.  Finally  the  French  were  completely  de- 
feated and  the  cruel  war  ceased.  During  the  Indian 
war  150  white  people  Avere  killed  in  Berks  county 
alone,  whilst  27  others  were  carried  off  as  prisoners. 

During  the  war  people  were  always  in  danger  o£ 
being  surprised  and  shot  down  by  the  Indians.    Every- 


126  *  EARLY   HISTORY 

body  went  about  armed,  not  only  to  their  daily  toil  in 
the  fields,  but  also  to  church.  Thus  many  men  car- 
ried their  rifles  with  them  to  church,  and  whilst  the 
larger  number  were  in  the  churches  engaged  in  wor- 
ship, others  remained  outside  on  guard  against  the  In- 
dian foes.  Such  was  the  case  at  Hain\s  church  in 
Berks  county,  Hill  church  in  Lebanon  county,  and 
other  places.  Dr.  William  Hendel,  sr.,  was  located  at 
Tulpehocken,  but  he  also  preached  in  Lyken's  Valley, 
Dauphin  county,  at  the  place  known  as  David's  church. 
He  was  accompanied  thither  by  armed  men,  who  stood 
at  the  door  of  the  church  during  the  service  on  guard. 
After  the  service  these  men  accompanied  him  on  his 
way  home  until  he  was  within  the  bounds  of  safety. 
This  is  the  way  the  people  had  to  worship  during  the 
continuance  of  the  Indian  war. 

The  most  distinguished  Reformed  person  during 
the  French  and  Indian  wars  was  Col.  Henry  Bouquet. 
He  was  a  native  of  Rolle,  Switzerland,  and  was  born 
in  1719.  On  March  25,  1735,  he  was  received  into 
the  Reformed  church  at  Rolle.  After  service  in  the 
Dutch  Republic,  etc.,  he  was  in  1756  appointed  a 
lieutenant  colonel  by  England  and  sent  to  America  to 
take  part  in  the  war  against  the  French  and  their  In- 
dian allies.  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  was  chaplain  of  Bou- 
quet's Royal  American  (German  Swiss)  regiment,  and 
was  present  with  him  at  the  capture  of  Louisburg  in 
1757.  In  1758  Col.  Bouquet  accompanied  the  expe- 
dition to  western  Pennsylvania  against  Fort  Duquesne, 
now  Pittsburg,  under  Gen.  Forbes.  Col.  Bouquet  and 
Col.  George  Washington  commanded  the  two  divisions 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH. 


127 


of  Forbes'  army.  Bouquet  planned  the  campaign, 
which  was  successful.  The  French  destroyed  Fort  Du^ 
quesne  and  left  the  place  when  the  British  approached. 
The  British  erected  Fort  Pitt  upon  the  ruins  of  the  one 
destroyed  as  above  stated.     In  1763  Fort  Pitt  was  in 


great  danger,  and  Col.  Bouquet  was  sent  to  its  relief 
with  a  small  army  of  about  500  men,  composed  of 
Eoyal  Americans  and  Scotch  Highlanders.  At  Bushy 
Run,  near  Harrison  City,  Westmoreland  county.  Pa., 
he,  on  August  5,  met  the  Indians,  who  at  oncp  attacked 


128  EARLY    HISTORY 

the  army  and  fought  desperately  ^or  two  days.  The 
Indians  had  the  advantage  of  firing  from  behind  the 
trees,  and  caused  heavy  losses  to  the  army.  Col.  Bouquet 
displayed  great  courage  and  wisdom.  After  a  long 
and  disatrous  fight,  Bouquet  by  the  strategy  of  a  seem- 
ing retreat  led  the  Indians  into  a  trap,  where  they 
were  utterly  defeated.  This  great  victory  disheartened 
the  Indians,  and  they  retired  beyond  the  Ohio  river, 
and  Fort  Pitt  was  relieved.  The  following  year  (1764) 
he  marched  a  large  army  into  the  Ohio  Avilderness  and 
compelled  the  Indians  to  sue  for  peace  and  return  sev- 
eral hundred  captives. 

Col.  Bouquet  is  justly  celebrated  as  the  hero  of 
Bushy  Run.  In  the  battle  he  had  lost  about  50  men 
killed  and  60  Avounded.  The  king  of  Great  Britain 
and  the  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  thanked  Bouquet 
for  his  grand  victory,  and  the  king  promoted  him  to 
brigadier  general.  After  the  war  Col.  Bouquet  pur- 
chased 4163  acres  of  land  near  Hagerstown,  Md.,  and 
expected  to  settle  there.  But  the  British  government 
sent  him  to  Pensacola,  Florida,  in  1765.  Unfortu- 
nately he  was  seized  with  yellow  fever,  and  died  on 
Sept.  2,  1765.  His  grave  is  unknown,  but  it  was  in- 
side the  Pensacola  barracks. 

Another  prominent  Reformed  person  during  the 
Indian  war  was  Rev.  John  Conrad  Bucher.  He 
was  born  at  Schaffhausen,  Switzerland,  June  10,  1730. 
His  father  was  a  ^'  Landvogt,'^  and  spared  no  pains  to 
give  the  son  a  liberal  education.  The  son  attended  the 
universities  of  Basel  and  St.  Gall  in  his  native  coun- 
try, and  also  visited  other  great  seats  of  learning.     His 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  129 

"GedeDk  Bucb"  contains  the  autographs  of  Zollik of- 
fer, Mosheim  and  other  leading  professors  of  that  time. 
That  he  became  a  thoroughly  educated  man  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  his  sermon  outlines  contain  many 
Greek,  Latin  and  Hebrew  references,  and  that  he 
preached  in  English,  French  and  German. 

John  Conrad  Buciier  came  to  this  country  in  No- 
vember of  1755,  and  for  some  years  served  as  an  officer 
in  the  British  army  against  the  French  and  their  In- 
dian allies.  He  took  part  in  the  Forbes  expedition  to 
Pittsburg  in  1758,  and  afterwards  was  stationed  sev- 
eral years  at  Carlisle,  and  in  1760  he  was  appointed 
lieutenant.  In  1761  he  was  in  charge  of  the  transpor- 
tation service  at  Fort  Pitt.  In  1763  Bucher  took  part 
in  the  expedition  under  Gen.  Bouquet  to  Pittsburg, 
and  in  the  terrible  battle  at  Bushy  Run,  in  wdiich  the 
Indians  were  totally  defeated.  In  1764  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  position  of  captain.  He  acted  as  adju- 
tant of  his  regiment  in  the  great  expedition  of  General 
Bouquet  to  the  Muskingum  river  in  Ohio,  which  prac- 
tically ended  the  Indian  war.  Peace  having  been 
gained,  Capt.  Bucher  resigned  from  the  army  in  1765, 
after  serving  about  seven  years.  The  officers  of  the 
Provincial  Army  were  entitled  to  bounty  lands,  and 
Capt.  Bucher  received  a  fine  tract  in  Buffalo  Valley. 
This  land  he  exchanged  for  a  property  in  Lebanon, 
which  remained  in  his  family  until  1844. 

Mr.  Bucher  commenced  preaching  in  1763,  wdiilst 
stationed  at  Carlisle  as  a  military  officer,  as  is  shown 
by  his  baptismal  and  marriage  records.  He  appears  to 
have  officiated  at  various  periods  whilst  an  officer   in 


130  EARLY    HISTORY 

the  army.  In  1765,  after  resigniog  from  the  army,  he 
became  pastor  of  the  Reformed  churches  at  Carlisle, 
Chambersburg,  Middletowu  and  Hummelstowu.  After 
having  preached  several  years,  he  was  ordaioed  by 
order  of  the  Coetus  in  1766.  In  1768  Rev.  Mr. 
Bucher  removed  to  Lebanon  and  occupied  his  own 
property.  He  now  supplied  many  congregations  in 
various  directions,  his  appointments  being  in  Lancas- 
ter, Lebanon,  Berks,  Dauphin,  Cumberland  and  Frank- 
lin counties.  He  supplied  Reading  for  some  time  in 
1769  and  1770.  He  was  one  of  the  most  active  and 
influential  Reformed  ministers  of  his  day. 

During  the  Revolution  Rev.  Mr.  Bucher  served  as 
chaplain  of  the  Pennsylvania  German  regiment,  which 
was  composed  of  soldiers  from  the  German  counties. 
He  was  then  already  suffering  from  heart  trouble.  In 
the  early  part  of  1777  he  had  been  away  from  his  regi- 
ment on  leave  of  absence.  On  May  4,  1777,  Baron 
von  Arut,  the  colonel  of  the  regiment,  ordered  Mr. 
Bucher  to  join  the  regiment  without  delay. 

Rev.  Mr.  Bucher's  useful  career  came  to  a  sudden 
end  in  middle  life.  On  August  15,  1780,  he  went  to 
Annville  to  perform  a  marriage  ceremony,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  festive  occasion  he  suddenly  died  of  heart 
failure,  at  tlie  age  of  50  years,  2  months  and  5  days. 
The  people  held  him  in  such  high  esteem  that  they 
would  not  allow  his  body  to  be  conveyed  to  his  home 
in  a  vehicle,  but,  securing  a  bier,  devout  men  carried  it 
on  their  shoulders  to  his  home  in  licbanon.  On  August 
17,  1780,  he  was  buried  in  the  graveyard  in  the  rear  of 
the  First  Reformed  church  in  Lebanon,  Pa.  One  of 
his  descendants  was  the  late   Dr.   Thos.   C.    Porter,  a 


OF   THE   REFORMED    CHURCH.  131 

well-known  Reformed  minister  and  long  a  professor  in 
Lafayette  College.  Rev.  Mr.  Bucher  was  married  on 
February  26,  1760,  to  Mary  Magdalena  Hoke,  of  Car- 
lisle. Six  children  were  born  to  them,  two  of  whom 
died  in  infancy.  Singularly  the  three  sons  were  named 
John  Jacob,  John  George  and  John  Conrad,  whilst  the 
daughter  was  named  Mary  Elizabeth. 

Space  forbids  us  to  refer  to  many  of  the  blood/ 
deeds  of  the  Indians  during  the  war.  On  July  5, 
1757,  seven  persons  were  buried  at  the  Tulpehocken 
church  who  had  been  murdered  in  one  house  the  day 
before.  On  the  day  of  this  funeral  a  number  of  people 
were  attacked  in  Greenwich  township,  Berks  county, 
and  four  of  them  killed  and  six  others  scalped. 

On  July  26,  1764,  a  number  of  Indians  surprised 
a  school,  consisting  of  Enoch  Brown,  the  teacher,  and 
eleven  children,  in  a  log  school  house  near  Greencastle, 
Franklin  county.  Pa.  The  teacher  and  ten  children 
were  killed,  whilst  one  boy  w^as  scalped,  but  escaped 
and  recovered.  He  lived  many  years.  All  the  victims 
were  buried  in  a  common  grave.  In  1885  a  monu- 
ment was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  fatal  school  house 
and  another  on  the  grave.  The  work  was  accomplished 
largely  through  the  efforts  of  Rev.  C.  Cort,  D.  D.,  of 
the  Reformed  Church,  who  also  dedicated  the  monu- 
ments. Dr.  Cort  also  compiled  a  volume  on  the  life 
and  labors  of  Col.  Bouquet. 

On  Nov.  24,  1755,  a  number  of  Indians  surprised 
the  settlement  at  Gnadenhiitten,  now  Lehighton,  Pa., 
and  murdered  eleven  persons.  A  few  others  escaped. 
The  bodies  of  those  murdered  were  buried  in  one  grave. 
A  monument  marks  their  resting  place. 


132  EARLY    HISTORY 


29. 
REFORMED  PATRIOTS. 

There  were  no  more  ardent  supporters  of  the  move- 
ment for  American  liberty  than  the  Pennsylvania  Ger- 
mans, both  ministers  and  people.  Already  in  1775,  a 
year  before  American  independence  was  declared,  the 
Reformed  and  Lutheran  people  of  Philadelphia  united 
with  the  German  Society  of  that  city  in  a  circular  in 
which  liberty  from  the  oppression  of  England  was  de- 
manded. This  circular  breathed  the  spirit  of  inde- 
pendence. The  appeal  had  a  marked  effect  upon  the 
German  people  against  England.  It  went  a  great 
way  to  prepare  the  German  people  for  the  great 
struggle. 

As  far  as  we  know,  all  the  Reformed  ministers  in 
Pennsylvania  were  loyal  patriots  and  active  supporters 
of  the  American  cause  during  the  Revolution.  Some 
were  made  to  suffer  for  their  patriotism. 

Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  was  arrested  and  impris- 
oned in  Philadelphia,  and  his  home  at  Chestnut  Hill 
despoiled. 

Dr.  Casper  D.  Weyberg,  during  the  Revolution 
pastor  of  the  Reformed  congregation  in  Philadelphia, 
was  also  imprisoned  and  his  church  used  as  a  hospital. 
After  the  withdrawal  of  the  British  from  the  city  his 
first  sermon  was  preached  on  the  text :  "  O  God  !  the 


OF    THE    REFOFvMED    CHURCH.  133 

heathen  have  come  into  thine  inheritance  ;  thy  holy 
temple  have  they  defiled.'^  It  cost  over  |1 5,000  to 
repair  the  church.  Of  coarse  the  money  was  then 
greatly  depreciated,  and  that  sum  in  1778  repre- 
sented not  more  than  §5000.  It  is  stated  that  Dr. 
Weyberg  was  imprisoned  because  of  his  fearless  preach- 
ing in  favor  of  the  Americans,  which  had  a  bad  effect 
upon  the  hired  Hessians  in  the  British  army. 

Rev.  John  H.  Weikel,  pastor  of  Boehm's  church  in 
Montgomery  county,  got  into  trouble  by  preaching  at 
the  beginning  of  the  war  on  the  text:  "Better  is  a 
poor  and  wise  child  than  an  old  and  foolish  king  who 
will  no  more  be  admonished.'^  Eccles.  4  :  13.  This 
sermon  was  of  course  directed  against  the  king  of  Eng- 
land. It  caused  great  excitement,  and  led  to  the  pas- 
tor's resignation.  Mr.  AVeikel  afterwards  frequently 
discharged  his  pistol  close  to  the  head  of  his  horse  to 
train  him  for  service  in  the  army,  if  necessary.  He 
was  warmly  attached  to  the  cause  of  freedom. 

Rev.  Philip  Jacob  Michael,  the  supposed  founder 
of  the  Reformed  church  in  Reading,  was  serving  a 
large  country  charge  when  the  Revolution  broke  out. 
In  1774  he  resigned  his  charge  and  entered  the  army. 
In  1777  he  was  appointed  chaplain  of  the  first  battalion 
of  the  Berks  county  militia.  After  the  war  he  resumed 
the  ministry  in  some  of  his  former  congregations,  one 
of  which  was  Longswamp,  where  he  died  in  1785. 

One  of  the  most  ardent  patriots  and  the  most  severe 
sufferer  among  the  Reformed  ministers  was  Rev.  J.  W. 
G.  Nevelling.  He  was  a  cousin  of  Dr.  Weyberg,  and 
came  to  this  country  in  company  with  the  wife  of  Dr. 


134  EARLY    HISTORY 

Weyberg,  be  having  preceded  his  wife  to  America.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  Nevelling  was  pastor 
at  Amwell,  New  Jersey.  He  joined  the  army  and 
served  as  chaplain.  As  a  rule  ti.e  ministers  were  poor, 
and  many  very  poor.  Mr.  Nevelling  was  an  excep- 
tion. He  was  possessed  of  a  good  deal  of  property. 
As  a  true  patriot  he  converted  all  his  property  into 
money,  amounting  to  about  ^12,000,  which  was  a  large 
sum  at  that  time,  and  loaned  the  whole  amount  to  the 
government.  The  only  security  he  received  was  a 
certificate  of  Congress.  Unfortunately  he  was  in  some 
way  defrauded  out  of  the  certificate  and  lost  all  his 
possessions.  This  w^as  doubly  unfortunate,  because 
soon  after  the  war  he  was  disabled  from  preaching,  and 
spent  tlie  balance  of  his  long' life  in  great  affliction  and 
poverty.  After  the  close  of  the  war  Rev.  Mr.  Nevel- 
ling became  pastor  of  the  Reformed  church  in  Reading, 
Pa.,  in  1782.  In  1783  he  reported  1000  families,  12 
baptisms,  10  confirmed  and  75  children  in  the  parochial 
school.  It  is  stated  that  he  was  a  man  of  noble  pres- 
ence and  commanding  pulpit  talent.  But  Mr.  Nevel- 
ling had  hardly  been  in  Reading  a  year,  apparently 
very  successful  in  his  work,  when  his  useful  ministry 
was  cut  short  by  a  sad  accident.  One  day,  as  he  was 
riding  on  horseback,  probably  to  one  of  his  country 
congregations,  with  a  pipe  in  his  mouth,  the  horse 
stumbled  and  fell,  pushing  the  stem  of  the  pipe  so  vio- 
lently into  Mr.  Ne veiling's  throat  that  it  injured  his 
vocal  organs  and  permanently  disabled  him  from 
preaching  again.  Thus  he  w^as  cut  oflP  in  the  prime  of 
his  life,  and  after  a  few  years   paralysis   lamed   him 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  135 

completely.  Some  years  later  he  also  became  blind. 
Henceforth  he  remained  a  helpless  invalid  for  more 
than  sixty  years  !  Thus  this  patriotic  man  was  speech- 
less, paralyzed,  blind  and  poor  !  By  the  earnest  eiforts 
of  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  he  and  his  large  family 
were  kept  from  starvation.  This  noble  patriot  and 
champion  of  American  liberty,  ready  to  sacrifice  all  his 
possessions  for  the  cause  of  his  country,  died  as  a  very 
old  man  of  94  years  in  Philadelphia  on  January  18, 
1844.  We  know  no  similar  case  in  the  Reformed  min- 
istry of  such  long,  severe  and  patient  suffering.  The 
Coetus  aided  him  as  much  as  it  could  with  its  scanty 
means.  In  1789  it  gave  him  £7  10s.  In  its  report  to 
Holland  the  Coetus  in  1790  states  that  "  Mr.  Xevelling 
is  still  in  very  wretched  circumstances,  and  a  burden 
to  us.'' 

During  the  Revolution  Rev.  J.  C.  A.  Helifenstein 
was  pastor  of  the  Reformed  church  at  Lancaster.  A 
number  of  Hessian  prisoners  were  kept  there,  and  he 
frequently  preached  to  them.  On  one  occasion  he  took 
as  his  text  Isaiah  52  :  3,  "  Ye  have  sold  yourselves  for 
nought,  and  ye  shall  be  redeemed  without  money.''  On 
another  occasion  he  preached  on  these  words  :  ''  If  the 
Son  shall  make  you  free,  ye  shall  be  free  indeed." 
These  sermons  produced  much  excitement  among  the 
Hessians,  as  well  as  the  other  people. 

Rev.  xlbraham  Blumer  was  the  pastor  of  Zion's 
Reformed  church  in  Allentown.  When  the  British 
army  was  approaching  Philadelphia  in  1777  the  cele- 
brated Liberty  Bell  on  Independence  Hall  w^as  re- 
moved to  Allentown  and  hid  under  the  floor  in  Zion's 


136  EARLY    HISTORY 

church.  It  was  hauled  by  John  Jacob  Mickley,  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Church.  After  the  British 
had  evacuated  Philadelphia^  the  bell  was  returned  to 
its  original  place,  where  it  remains  to  this  day.  On  its 
way  to  Allentown  the  wagon  broke  down,  but  the  bell 
was  not  injured.  Some  time  after  it  had  been  re- 
turned it  was  cracked  and  its  usefulness  ended,  but  it 
has  ever  since  been  kept  as  a  sacred  relic  in  Indepen- 
dence Hall,  Philadelphia. 

As  far  as  we  know,  all  the  members  of  the  Re- 
formed Coetus  were  favorable  to  the  American  cause. 
Two  others,  Rev.  John  M.  Kern,  of  Xew  York,  and 
Rev.  John  J.  Zubly,  of  Georgia,  held  to  England,  and 
both  lost  their  usefulness  and  had  to  leave  their  pas- 
toral charges.  Kern  went  to  Halifax,  but  returned  to 
Pennsylvania  in  1788  and  died  soon  after  in  Bucks 
county.  Zubly  was  a  member  of  the  Colonial  Con- 
gress until  a  short  time  before  the  adoption  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  when  he  left  the  body 
and  returned  to  Georgia.  Had  he  remained  he  would 
have  been  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence. He  vainly  tried  to  prevent  Georgia  from 
uniting  with  the  movement  for  American  independence. 
He  was  banished  and  one-half  of  his  property  was  con- 
fiscated. When  the  British  captured  Savannah  in 
1779,  Zubly  returned  thither  and  remained  there  until 
his  death  in  1781.  Rev.  John  C.  Rubel  is  also  said  to 
have  been  a  Tory.     He  was  deposed  in  1784. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  Reformed  ministers 
during  the  Revolution  was  Dr.  F.  L.  Herman,  the 
father  of  five  Reformed  ministers.     In   1793   he  was 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  137 

pastor  at  Germantown  at  the  time  when  the  yellow 
fever  prevailed  in  Philadelphia.  Gen.  Washington 
left  the  city  and  resided  several  months  in  the  family 
of  Dr.  Herman.  The  general  frequently  attended  ser- 
vices in  the  Reformed  church,  when  the  services  were 
held  in  English  by  Rev.  Dr.  Smith,  of  the  Falls  of 
Schuylkill,  according  to  the  statement  of  Mr.  Watson. 
It  is  also  stated  that  on  one  occasion  he  received  the 
communion  from  the  hands  of  Dr.  Hernian.  After  the 
death  of  Washington  a  memorial  service  was  held  in 
the  Reformed  church  in  Philadelphia. 

Not  only  were  the  ministers  loyal  to  the  American 
cause,  with  few  exceptions,  but  also  practically  the  en- 
tire membership  of  the  Reformed  Church.  The  Con- 
tinental army  contained  many  members  of  the  Church, 
especially  from  Pennsylvania. 

Perhaps  the  most  efficient  Reformed  officer  during 
the  Revolution  was  Baron  de  Steuben,  a  member  of  the 
German  Reformed  church  in  New  York,  whose  pastor 
then  was  Rev.  John  Daniel  Gross.  He  was  a  native 
of  Magdeburg,  Germany,  and  was  an  efficient  officer  in 
the  Prussian  army.  He  came  to  America  on  Nov.  1, 
1777,  and  offered  his  services  to  Congress.  They  were 
readily  accepted,  and  he  was  assigned  to  the  army  un- 
der Gen.  Washington  at  Valley  Forge.  The  army 
was  poorly  clad  and  disheartened.  Baron  Steuben  set 
to  work  to  reorganize  the  army  and  drilled  the  men 
almost  constantly.  He  said  it  was  good  for  them,  as  it 
kept  them  from  freezing.  Gen.  Steuben  commanded  a 
division  in  several  battles  and  rendered  excellent  ser- 
vice, especially  at  Yorktown,  Va.,  the  laet  and  decisive 
10 


138  EARLY    HISTORY 

battle  of  the  Revolution,  where  tlie  entire  British  army 
was  captured.  After  theSvar  Gen.  Steuben  resided  in 
New  York,  where  he  serv^ed  as  an  elder  in  the  Ke- 
formed  congregation.  In  Jiis  last  years  Congress  made 
him  a  grant  of  land  near  CJtica,  N.  Y.,  as  an  apprecia- 
tion of  his  valuable  services.  The  American  people 
ever  held  him  in  grateful  remembrance. 

Gen.  Nicholas  Herkimer,  a  member  of  the  German 
Reformed  church  in  New  York,  commanded  the  800 
Americans  in  the  battle  ]  at  iOriskany,  New  York,  in 
1777,  and  was  mortally  wounded.  The  battle  with 
the  Indians  and  Tories  lasted  several  hours,  and  was 
fought  with  great  desperation  amid  a  furious  thunder- 
storm. Each  side  lost  one-third  of  its  men,  but  the 
Americans  maintained  the  field.  Considering  the  num- 
ber of  men  engaged,  the  battle  of  Oriskany  is  regarded 
the  most  desperate  andjbloody  one  fought  during  the 
Revolution.  Gen.  Herkimer  was  a  Reformed  Palatine 
and  came  to  America  in  1722.  This  German  victory 
at  Oriska'ny  is  further  memorable  from  the  fact  that 
here  for  the  first  time  in  military  service  the  stars  and 
stripes,  adopted  by  Congress  seven  weeks  before,  were 
hoisted.  They  had  been  improvised  from  a  soldier's 
shirt,  an  old  blue  military ^cloak  and  some  strips  of  red 
flannel  from  the  petticoat  of  a  soldier's  wife. 

The  Reformed  Church  in  Reading  and  Berks  coun- 
ty furnished  many  heroic  officers  and  men  for  the  Con- 
tinental army.  We  will  mention  some  of  the  promi- 
nent officers. 

Col.  George  Nagel,  of  Reading,  raised  the  first  com- 
pany in  Berks  county  for  the   army.     This    company 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHUECH. 


139 


marched  to  Bostou,  reachiug  there  July  18,  1775,  a 
few  days  after  the  siege  of  the  city  by  the  Americans. 
He  continued  in  active  service  until  1783,  rising  to  the 
rank  of  colonel.  He  had  also  been  an  officer  in  the 
Indian  war  until  its  close  in  1763.  Col.  Nagel  was 
born  about  1728  in  Germany,  and  came  to  Reading  in 
1755.  He  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  Mordecai 
Lincoln  of  Exeter  township,  an  ancestor  of  Abraham 
Lincoln.     He  died  in  1789. 

Capt.  Peter  Nagel,  brother 
of  the  above,  was  also  born 
in  Germany,  in  1750,  Dur- 
ing the  Revolution  he  was  a 
captain  in  the  army  from 
1777  to  1783.  He  also  held 
several  civil  offices — justice 
of  the  peace,  coroner  and 
county  treasurer.  In  1794 
he  gave  a  reception  to  Gen. 
Washington  in  his  home  on 
the  site  of  the  present   post      ff/^^^.^-^  /^^'^ y 

office  in  Reading.     He  died  //-eAl^   ch/Ci^^ 
Nov.  30,    1834.     Mr.    Wm.  /y 

N.  Coleman,  of  Reading,  who  died  on  June  3,  1906, 
aged  87  years,  was  a  grandson  of  Capt.  Peter  Nagel. 

Col.  Henry  Haller  was  a  well-known  tailor  in 
Reading  in  1765.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Provincial 
Conference  in  June,  1776.  On  June  14  of  that  year 
he  was  appointed  by  the  Executive  Council  to  solicit 
subscriptions  in  Berks  county  for  a  loan  of  twenty  mil- 
lion dollars  to  Congress.     He  was  active  in  organizing 


140 


EARLY    HISTORY 


^--^^tcX 


V§_^ 


the  Berks  couuty  regiment  of  the  ^^  Flying  Camp/'  and 
was  made  its  colonel.  He  served  in  the  army  in  New 
Jersey,  and  afterward  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly 
from  1776  to  1781.  He  died  in  Schuylkill  county  in 
1793. 

Col.  JS'icholas  Lotz  was  a  native  of  the  Palatinate, 
being  born  Feb.  20,  1740,  and  came  to  Reading  as  a 
young  man.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Con- 
ference in  Carpenter  Hall  in 
June  of  1776,  and  afterwards 
was  prominent  as  an  officer 
in  the  army.  He  became  a 
lieutenant  colonel,  and  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  Long  Is- 
land, where  he  was  taken 
j  prisoner.  In  1780  he  was 
I  made  Commissioner  of  For- 
I  age  and  purchased  vast  quan- 
I  tities  of  supplies  for  the  army. 
j  He  advanced  large  amounts 
of  money  for  the  government, 
but  was  never  fully  repaid. 
Col.  Lotz  served  also  in 
the  Assembly  and  as  associate  judge.  In  1794  he 
aided  in  arranging  for  the  military  parade  in  honor  of 
Gen.  Washington  in  Reading.  He  died  Nov.  29,  1807. 
Capt.  Jacob  Bower  served  as  first  lieutenant  in  the 
company  of  Col.  Benjamin  Weiser,  a  son  of  the  noted 
Conrad  Weiser.  He  was  promoted  to  captain,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  1783.  After  1800 
he  removed  from  Reading  to  Womelsdorf,  where  he 
died  August  3,  1818. 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  141 

Daniel  Rose  was  a  well-known  clock  maker  in 
Reading,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  Revolution. 
Like  Capt.  Peter  Nagel,  Daniel  Rose  also  entertained 
Gen.  Washington  in  1794.  The  chair  in  which  Wash- 
ington sat  on  the  occasion  is  still  preserved. 

All  of  the  above  persons — George  and  Peter  Nagel, 
Nicholas  Lotz,  Henry  Haller,  Jacob  Bower  and  Daniel 
Rose — were  prominent  members  of  the  Reformed 
church  in  Reading.  Their  names  appear  frequently  as 
members  of  the  consistory.  That  of  Jacob  Bower  is 
distinguished  by  its  large,  bold  appearance.  The  min- 
utes of  the  consistory  were  usually  signed  by  all  the 
members.  The  two  Nagels,  Nicholas  Lotz,  as  well  as 
Gov.  Joseph  Hiester,  were  buried  in  the  graveyard  at 
the  Reformed  church  in  Reading.  Many  years  after- 
ward their  bodies  were  removed  to  Charles  Evans^ 
cemetery.  Henry  Haller  and  Jacob  Bower  were  bur- 
ied in  their  new  homes  after  removing  from  Reading. 

Probably  the  most  prominent  Reformed  family  in 
Berks  county  during  the  Revolution  was  the  Hiester 
family.  The  most  prominent  member  of  this  family 
was  Joseph  Hiester,  son  of  John  Hiester,  who  came 
here  from  Germany  in  1732  and  located  in  Bern  town- 
ship. The  son  Joseph  was  a  member  of  the  Provincial 
Conference  in  June,  1776.  Upon  his  return  home, 
being  full  of  the  spirit  of  patriotism,  he  on  July  10 
called  a  meeting  with  the  beat  of  the  drum  and  raised 
a  company  for  the  ^'  Flying  Camp.'^  He  laid  $40 
upon  a  drumhead  to  be  given  to  the  first  man  who 
would  enlist.  Matthias  Babb  quickly  signed  his  name 
and  took  the  money.     Ninety-six    men   enlisted,   and 


142 


ExVRLY    HISTORY 


Mr.  Hiester  was  made  captain.  He  and  his  company 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  where  the  Ger- 
mans stood  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  Capt.  Hiester  and 
many  of  his  men  were  taken  prisoners,  and  suffered 
many  hardships,  together  with  Col.  Nicholas  Lotz,  Col. 
Peter  Kichline  and  many  others.  In  December,  1776, 
the  prisoners  were  exchanged.  Capt.  Hiester  was  ill 
with  fever.     Upon   recovery   he  joined  Washington's 

army.  Subsequently  he 
raised  650  men  and 
marched  them  to  join  Gen. 
Read's  army  in  New  Jer- 
sey. He  served  in  the 
army  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  Afterward  he 
filled  various  positions  of 
honor  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Assembly  and 
of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention in  1789,  and  in 
1790  the  first  state  sena- 
Berks  county, 
he  was  sent  to 
Congress,  and  was  afterward  re-elected  five  times.  In 
1815  he  was  again  elected  to  Congress,  and  twice  re- 
elected. In  1820  Mr.  Hiester  was  elected  governor  of 
the  state.  During  his  term  of  office  he  traveled  be- 
tween Reading  and  Harrisburg  in  a  packet  boat  on  the 
Union  Canal.  He  died  on  June  10,  1832.  He  was 
highly  respected  and  very  popular.  It  is  said  that 
during  many  years  he  and  his  fellow  soldiers  sat 
together  during  services  in  the  First  Reformed  church. 


J^^^C/l^  .^^7^^  tor    from 
^ ^In   1797 


OF    THE    EEFORMED    CHUKCH.  143 

Gabriel  Hiester,  a  cousin  of  the  above,  was  born  in 
Bern  township  in  1 749,  and  attended  the  parochial  school 
at  the  Bern  church.  He  was  a  delegate  from  Berks  coun- 
ty to  the  Provincial  Constitutional  Convention  in  July, 
1776.  He  was  afterward  made  a  judge  of  the  common 
pleas  court  of  this  county,  and  served  eight  years  in 
the  Assembly,  and  also  as  state  senator.  He  died  in 
1824.  Gabriel  was  a  brother  of  Col.  Daniel  Hiester, 
of  Montgomery  county,  and  of  Col.  John  Hiester,  of 
Chester  county. 

Gen.  Daniel  Udree  was  an  ironmaster  of  Oley  and 
a  member  of  the  Oley  Reformed  church.  He  was 
born  in  Philadelphia  in  1751.  He  was  the  owner  of 
2700" acres  of  land.  In  1777  he  was  made  colonel  of 
the  county  militia,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Brandywine,  where  his  horse  was  shot  under  him.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  from  1799  to  1805, 
and  twice  a  member  of  Congress.  In  the  War  of  1812 
he  was  a  major-general.  In  1823  he  erected  a  stone 
grist  mill  at  Oley  furnace,  which  is  still  in  operation. 
Some  time  after  the  organization  of  the  Oley  congrega- 
tion Gen.  Udree  presented  it  with  a  part  of  a  pewter 
communion  service,  which  is  still  in  possession  of  the 
people.  He  died  suddenly  on  July  15,  1828,  and  wa& 
buried  at  the  Oley  church. 

John  Lesher  was  a  native  of  Germany,  was  born 
in  1711,  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1734,  and  located  in 
Oley,  at  the  present  village  of  Spangsville,  where  he 
established  a  forge,  which  he  conducted  some  fifty 
years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Oley  Reformed 
church,  and  in  1742  donated  the  land  upon  which  tha 


144  EARLY   HISTORY 

church  was  erected.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention  in  1776  and  of  the  Assembly  from 
1776  to  1782.  During  the  Revolution  he  was  one  of 
the  commissioners  for  the  purchase  of  supplies.  He 
contributed  largely  of  his  private  means  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  war.  Mr.  Lesher  died  on  April  b,  1794, 
aged  83  years,  and  was  buried  on  the  farm  of  Ezra 
Levan,  near  Friedensburg.  The  large  stone  dwelling 
erected  by  him  is  still  standing  and  now  owned  by  Mr. 
Jacob  Specht.  The  house  is  most  peculiarly  located. 
It  stands  against  a  steep  hill.  Originally  the  road 
passed  along  the  base  of  the  hill,  from  which  people 
entered  the  basement  on  even  ground.  After  the 
abandonment  of  the  forge  the  road  was  transferred  to 
the  top  of  the  hill,  and  now  there  is  a  gangway  leading 
from  the  road  into  the  attic  of  the  house. 

Daniel  Hunter  was  another  prominent  member  of 
the  Oley  Reformed  church.  His  name  was  originally 
Jiiger,  but  was  translated  into  English.  His  parents 
came  from  Germany,  and  were  among  the  early  settlers 
of  Oley.  Daniel  was  born  on  April  8, 1742.  He  rep- 
resented his  county  in  the  Provincial  Conference  in 
June,  1776,  and  also  in  the  Constitutional  Convention 
in  July  following.  He  was  a  paymaster  of  the  militia. 
In  1777  he  commanded  a  regiment  of  militia,  first  at 
Trenton,  then  about  the  Brandy  wine.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Assembly  in  1782.  Whilst  in  the  latter  ser- 
vice he  became  ill  and  died  on  February  3,  1783,  at 
the  early  age  of  41  years.  He  was  buried  at  Oley 
church,  where  a  monument  marks  his  resting  place. 
His  descendants  are  numerous  in  Berks   county.     His 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  145 

sister  Catharine  was  the  wife  of  the  well- known  Balser 
Geehr. 

The  Tulpehockeu  region  furnished  its  share  of  Re- 
formed patriots.  Among  these  were  the  Spyker  broth- 
ers, Benjamin  and  Peter.  Their  father,  John  Peter 
Spyker,  came  here  from  Europe  in  1738  and  took  up  a 
large  tract  in  Tulpehocken  township.  Benjamin  Spyk- 
er, a  son,  was  born  in  the  Palatinate  in  1723.  He 
took  part  in  the  Indian  war.  He  was  a  neighbor  and 
intimate  friend  of  Conrad  Weiser.  In  1776  he  repre- 
sented Berks  county  in  the  Provincial  Conference  and 
in  the  Constitutional  Convention.  He  served  long  as 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  died  in  1802,  aged  nearly  80 
years. — Peter  Spyker,  brother  of  the  above  Benjamin, 
was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  Berks  county  in 
1763,  and  continued  in  this  office  until  his  death  in 
1789,  a  period  of  26  years.  He  was  the  principal  judge 
of  the  county  during  the  Revolution.  He  was  also  a 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Tulpehocken  township  from 
1777. — Henry  Spyker,  son  of  Judge  Peter  Spyker,  and 
nephew  of  Benjamin  Spyker,  was  colonel  of  the  Sixth 
Battalion,  and  w^as  at  the  head  of  the  militia  in  the 
western  section  of  the  county  until  1783.  In  the  fall 
of  1777  he  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Germantown, 
where  he  was  w^ounded.  Col.  Sypker  was  paymaster 
of  the  militia  of  Berks  county  from  August,  1777,  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  It  is  stated  that  he  handled 
about  $600,000  of  money  and  accounted  for  every 
penny  which  passed  through  his  hands.  In  1797  he 
removed  to  Lewisburg,  Pa.,  where  he  died  on  July  1, 
1817.     There  are  still  some  Spyker  descendants  in  the 


146  EARLY    HISTORY 

Talpehocken  region,  but  they  now  spell  their  name 
Speicher. 

Valentine  Eckert  was  another  Reformed  patriot  of 
Tulpehocken.  He  was  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany, 
came  to  America  in  1741  and  settled  near  Womels- 
dorf.  In  June  of  1776  he  was  one  of  the  ten  members 
from  Berks  county  in  the  Provincial  Conference.  In 
July  of  ihe  same  year  he  was  also  one  of  the  eight 
members  in  the  Constitutional  Convention.  From 
1776  to  1779  he  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly.  He 
commanded  a  company  of  cavalry  and  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Germantown  in  1777,  where  he  was  wounded. 
Afterward  he  was  a  commissioner  to  purchase  supplies 
for  the  army.  In  1784  he  was  appointed  judge  of  the 
county  court,  and  served  seven  years.  About  1816  he 
removed  to  Virginia,  and  died  at  Winchester  in  De- 
cember, 1821,  aged  88  years. 

The  people  in  the  Tulpehocken  region  in  Berks 
county  were  ardent  supporters  of  the  cause  of  Ameri- 
can freedom.  The  Reformed  Hain's  church  was  or- 
ganized about  1730  by  Palatines  who  had  come  from 
Schoharie,  N.  Y.  Over  the  door  of  their  church  they 
placed  a  stone  with  this  inscription  : 

"Alle,  die  hier  gehen  aus  und  ein, 
Sollen  Gott  und  dem  Konig  unterthan  sein.^^ 

This  couplet  indicates  their  loyalty  to  England. 
But  during  the  Revolution  their  sentiments  had  been 
changed,  and  the  inscription  had  become  an  eyesore. 
A  certain  Mr.  Ruth  declared  :  ^^  That  king  must  come 
out.'^  He  procured  a  chisel  and  hammer  and  effaced 
the  word  king.  In  this  mutilated  form  the  inscription 
remains  to  this  day. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  147 

One  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the  Re- 
formed church  in  Philadelphia  during  his  early  life 
was  Mr.  Michael  Hillegas.  His  father  of  the  same 
name  had  been  a  prosperous  merchant,  and  was  one  of 
the  charter  members  of  the  Reformed  church  in  that 
city.  The  son  inherited  the  father.  He  took  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  struggle  for  American  freedom.  When 
the  colonies  organized  for  defense  Mr.  Hillegas  was 
on  July  25,  1775,  elected  treasurer,  and  served  contin- 
uously during  the  Revolution  and  afterward  in  this 
position  until  Sept.  2,  1789,  when  the  Treasury  De- 
partment was  established  by  Congress.  He  advanced 
large  amounts  of  money  to  pay  the  soldiers  in  the 
army.  He  rendered  the  most  valuable  services  to  his 
country  during  the  most  critical  period.  The  honor 
for  this  great  work  has  nearly  always  been  given  to 
Robert  Morris.  Some  time  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Hillegas  united  with  the  Episcopal  Church. 

The  Reformed  church  at  Lebanon  furnished  at  least 
three  prominent  patriots  for  the  Revolutionary  army — 
Rev.  John  Conrad  Bucher,  the  pastor,  who  served  as 
chaplain  of  the  noted  German  Regiment.  He  had 
been  very  active  as  an  officer  in  the  Indian  war  from 
1758  to  1765.  (See  Chapter  on  Indian  War,  page  128.) 
The  two  others  were  Gen.  John  Philip  De  Haas  and 
Hon.  John  Gloninger. 

John  Philip  De  Haas  was  born  in  Holland  about 
1735,  and  came  early  with  his  parents  to  this  country. 
He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion at  Lebanon  and  a  prominent  officer  of  the  same. 
Whilst  a  young  man  he  became  an  officer  in  the  In- 


148  EARLY    HISTORY 

dian  war  in  1757.  He  rose  rapidly.  In  1760  he  was 
made  captain  and  in  1764  major.  In  1763  he  took 
part  in  the  Bouquet  expedition  to  Pittsburg,  and  shared 
in  the  land  grants  in  Clinton  county.  In  June,  1764, 
Major  De  Haas  was  in  charge  of  Fort  Henry,  an  im- 
portant fort  at  Swatara  Gap  in  Lebanon  county.  Dur- 
ing the  Revolution  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  cause 
of  the  Americans.  In  1775  he  took  part  in  the  unsuc- 
cessful campaign  to  Canada.  In  January,  1776,  Con- 
gress elected  Major  De  Haas  colonel  of  the  First  Penn- 
sylvania Battalion.  This  command  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Long  Island.  In  1777  Col.  De  Haas  was 
promoted  by  Congress  to  Brigadier  General.  He 
served  until  the  close  of  1778,  and  in  1779  removed  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  died  on  June  3,  1786.  He  was 
a  brave  and  efficient  officer.  (A  deed  made  to  the  Re- 
formed congregation  in  Lebanon  in  1765  is  witnessed 
by  I.  C.  De  Haas.)  Gen.  De  Haas  had  a  son  named 
John  Philip  De  Haas,  who  was  also  an  officer  in  the 
Revolution,  and  is  at  times  confounded  with  the  father. 
The  son  located  upon  his  father's  land  in  Clinton  coun- 
ty, and  died  there  in  1821. 

The  Gloninger  family  was  prominent  in  the  Re- 
formed church  at  Lebanon  from  its  beginning.  One  of 
these  was  John  Gloninger,  son  of  Philip  and  Barbara 
Gloninger.  He  was  born  in  1758  in  Lebanon  town- 
ship. When  the  Revolution  broke  out  he  was  made  a 
sub-altern  officer.  ToAvard  the  close  of  the  war  he  was 
in  command  of  a  battalion  of  militia.  In  1785  he  was 
made  lieutenant.  He  filled  various  positions — As- 
sembly man.  State  Senator,  Associate  Judge  of  Dau- 


OF    THE    REFOBMED    CHURCH.  149 

phin  county  and  afterward  of  Lebanon  county,  etc. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  influence  and  highly  respected. 
He  died  in  1836,  aged  77,  years.  One  of  his  sons, 
Philip,  was  a  Reformed  minister,  born  in  1788  and 
died  in  1816,  aged  28  years.  His  early  death  was 
caused  by  a  cold  Nvhich  he  contracted  in  wading  through 
the  Swatara  creek  to  meet  an  appointment.  All  of 
these  four  Gloningers  are  buried  at  the  First  church  in 
Lebanon.  The  Gloninger  family  continued  to  be 
prominent  in  the  Reformed  Church  until  recent  years, 
but  has  nearly  died  out. 

Col.  Peter  Kichlein  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Reformed  church  of  Easton.  He  was  born  in  Heidel- 
berg, Germany,  Oct.  8,  1722.  He  came  to  this  coun- 
try with  his  father,  Sept.  21,  1742.  In  1749  he  set- 
tled at  the  Forks  of  the  Delaware,  the  site  of  Easton. 
He  took  an  active  part  in  the  Indian  war,  and  occu- 
pied the  position  of  colonel.  Subsequently  he  occu- 
pied various  public  positions,  as  sheriff  of  Northamp- 
ton county  for  ten  years,  member  of  the  Colonial  As- 
sembly, member  of  the  Committee  of  Safety,  etc. 
When  the  Revolution  broke  out  he  was  one  of  the  first 
to  take  up  arms  for  the  American  cause.  In  ,1775, 
when  a  regiment  was  organized  in  Northampton  coun- 
ty, composed  almost  exclusively  of  Germans,  Peter 
Kichlein  w^as  elected  colonel.  This  regiment  did  the 
most  heroic  fighting  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  and 
w^as  almost  annihilated.  It  withstood  the  onslaught  of 
superior  numbers  with  great  heroism.  The  battle  w^as 
fought  on  the  territory  now  included  in  the  city  of 
Brooklyn.     After  nearly  all  his  men  had  been   killed 


150  EARLY    HISTORY 

or  wounded^  and  himself  beiug  wounded,  Col.  Kichlein 
was  taken  prisoner  with  over  1000  other  Americans, 
mostly  wounded.  Later  the  prisoners  were  exchanged 
and  taken  to  the  Reformed  church  in  Easton.  Col. 
Kichlein  was  a  brave  officer.  He  died  on  Nov.  27, 
1789,  aged  67  years,  1  mouth  and  22  days.  He  had 
been  in  the  public  service  during  thirty-four  years. 
He  was  an  elder  in  the  Reformed  Church  and  a  devout 
Christian. 

Col.  Fred.  Antes,  of  Pottstown,  was  one  of  the 
ardent  Reformed  patriots.  He  was  born  in  Frederick 
township  in  1730.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Provin- 
cial Conference  in  Carpenter  Hall,  Philadelphia,  June 
1776,  and  of  the  Pennsylvania  Assembly  of  the  same 
y^r.  He  was  very  active  in  arousing  the  people  to 
action,  and  became  a  lieutenant  colonel.  Gen.  Howe, 
the  British  commander,  offered  £200  for  the  capture  of 
Col.  Antes,  dead  or  alive.  This  offer  induced  great 
efforts  for  his  arrest.  On  one  occasion,  while  visiting 
his  home,  he  eluded  his  pursuers  only  by  flight  through 
a  back  door.  In  1777  he  was  appointed  as  one  of  sev- 
eral persons  to  sign  an  issue  of  $200,000  of  paper 
money.  This  was  considered  a  great  honor.  After 
the  war  Col.  Antes  removed  from  Pottstown.  In  1801 
he  was  a  commissioner  to  explore  the  Susquehanna 
river.  He  took  a  severe  cold  at  Columbia  and  re- 
paired  to  Lancaster,  where  he  died  on  Sept.  20,  1801. 
He  was  buried  in  the  Reformed  graveyard  in  Lancas- 
ter. His  two  brothers,  William  and  John  Henry, 
were  also  active  supporters  of  the  war  for  independence. 


OF   THE   KEFORMED   CHURCH.  151 


30. 

THE  COETUS  AND  GEN.  WASHINGTON. 

FoHowing  is  a  copy  of  the  letter  which  the  Re- 
formed Coetus  addressed  to  Gen.  George  Washington 
after  his  elevation  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United 
States.  Washington  was  inaugurated  on  April  30, 
1789.  The  Coetus  met  on  June  10  and  11,  same  year, 
in  Philadelphia,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  draft  a 
letter  to  the  first  President  of  the  United  States,  con- 
sisting of  Revs.  Weyberg,  Gross  and  Blumer,  and 
Elders  Col.  Farmer,  Grosscup  and  Arend.  The  letter 
was  delivered  in  the  following  September,  and  is  as 
follows : 

To\the  President  of  the  United  States  : 

The  address  of  the  ministers  and  elders  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  at  their 
general  meeting,  held  at  Philadelphia,  the  10th  of 
June,  1789. 

Whilst  the  infinite  goodness  of  Almighty  God,  in 
His  gracious  providence  over  the  people  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  calls  for  our  sincerest  and  most  cor- 
dial gratitude  to  Him  that  ruieth  supremely,  and  or- 
dereth  all  things,  in  heaven  and  earth,  in  unerring  wis- 
dom and  righteousness,  the  happy  and  peaceable  estab- 
lishment of  the  new  government  over  which  you  so 
deservedly  preside  cannot  fail  but  inspire  our  souls 
with  new  and  most  lively  emotions  of  adoration,  praise 
and  thanksgiving  to  His  holy  name. 


152  EARLY    HISTORY 

As  it  is  our  most  firm  purpose  to  support  in  our 
persons  a  government  founded  in  justice  and  equity,  so 
it  shall  be  our  constant  duty  to  impress  the  minds  of 
the  people  entrusted  to  our  care  with  a  due  sense  of  the 
necessity  of  uniting  reverence  to  such  a  government 
and  obedience  to  its  laws  with  the  duties  and  exercises 
of  religion.  Thus  we  hope,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  to 
be,  in  some  measure,  instrumental  in  alleviating  the 
burden  of  that  weighty  and  important  charge  to  which 
you  have  been  called  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  your 
fellow  citizens,  and  which  your  love  to  your  country 
has  constrained  you  to  take  upon  you. 

Deeply  possessed  of  a  sense  of  the  goodness  of  God 
in  the  appointment  of  your  person  to  the  highest  sta- 
tion in  the  national  government,  we  shall  continue,  in 
our  public  worship  and  all  our  devotions  before  the 
throne  of  grace,  to  pray  that  it  may  please  God  to 
bless  you  in  your  person,  in  your  family,  and  in  your 
goverumeut,  with  all  temporal  and  spiritual  blessings 
in  Christ  Jesus. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  meeting, 

Wm.  He^^del,  'p.  t.  Praeses. 
F.  Dellicker,  p.  t.  ScribcL 

THE  PRESIDENTS  REPLY. 

I  am  happy  in  concurring  with  you  in  the  senti- 
ments of  gratitude  and  piety  towards  Almighty  God 
which  are  expressed  with  such  fervency  of  devotion  in 
your  address,  and  in  believing  that  I  shall  always  find 
in  you  and  the  German  Reformed  congregations  in  the 
United  States  a  conduct  corresponding  to  such  worthy 
and  pious  expressions.  At  the  same  time  I  return  you 
my  thanks  for  the  manifestation  of  your  firm  purpose 
to  support  in  your  persons  a  government  founded  in 
justice  and  equity,  and  for  the  promise  that  it  will  be 
your  constant  duty  to  impress  the  minds  of  the  people 
entrusted  to  your  care  with  a  due  sense  of  the  necessity 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  153 

of  imitiDg  revereDce  to  such  a  government  and  obe- 
dience to  its  laws  with  the  duties  and  exercises  of  reh'g- 
ion.  Be  assured,  gentlemen,  it  is  by  such  conduct  very 
much  in  the  power  of  the  virtuous  members  of  the 
community  to  alleviate  the  burden  of  the  important 
office  which  I  have  accepted,  and  to  give  me  occasion 
to  rejoice  in  this  world  for  having  followed  therein  the 
dictates  of  my  conscience.  Be  pleased,  also,  to  accept 
my  acknowledgments  for  the  interest  you  so  kindly 
take  in  the  prosperity  of  my  person,  family  and  admin- 
istration. Slay  your  devotions  before  the  throne  of 
grace  be  prevalent  in  calling  down  the  blessings  of 
heaven  upon  yourselves  and  your  country. 

[Signed]         George  Washing tox. 


11 


154  EA.RLY    HISTORY 


31. 

LANGUAGES  USED  BY  GOETUS. 

During  the  time  that  the  Church  in  Holland  exer- 
cised a  care  over  the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylva- 
nia the  Dutch  language  was  principally  employed  in 
correspondence.  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm,  who  came  here 
in  1720  and  did  more  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  Church 
than  any  minister  during  the  early  period,  was  well 
versed  in  the  Dutch  language.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter,  who  came  here  in  1746  and 
formally  organized  the  Church.  He  had  for  some 
time  studied  in  Holland  before  entering  the  ministry. 
Their  knowledge  of  the  Dutch  language  was  of  great 
advantage  to  these  ministers.  Both  gentlemen  of 
course  had  a  still  better  knowledge  of  the  German 
language. 

The  first  and  third  reports  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  to 
the  Church  in  Holland,  1734  and  1744,  were  written 
in  Dutch,  whilst  the  one  of  1739  was  in  German. 

The  minutes  of  the  Coetus  were  recorded  some- 
times in  Dutch  and  sometimes  in  German.  Those  of 
the  first  meeting  in  1747  were  in  German.  In  the 
early  years  the  Dutch  language  was  mostly  employed  in 
recording  the  minutes,  but  gradually  the  German  lan- 
guage prevailed.  After  1766  the  minutes  were  always 
recorded  in  German,   with  the   exception  of  the   year 


OF   THE   REFOEMED    CHURCH.  155 

1784,  when  Dutch  was  employed.  Five  times  these 
minutes  were  recorded  in  Latin— 1755,  1756,  1757, 
1758  and  1759.  The  proceedings  of  the  Coetus  were 
at  first  transmitted  to  Holland  in  the  Dutch  language, 
subsequently  in  German.  The  brethren  did  not  like 
the  use  of  the  German  language,  because  they  naturally 
understood  their  mother  tongue  best.  It  is  somewhat 
remarkable  that  already  in  1763  the  English  language 
is  employed  in  certain  action  in  the  case  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Rothenbiihler.  Thus  four  languages  were  employed 
during  the  existence  of  the  Coetus  in  transacting  the 
official  business  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

There  are  those  who  still  claim  that  Dutch  is  a 
derisive  term  for  German.  Of  course  such  expressions 
only  betray  ignorance.  We  herewith  give  an  example 
of  Dutch  to  enable  our  readers  to  judge  whether  Dutch 
is  the  same  as  German. 

In  his  report  of  1744  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  reports 
as  follows  in  Dutch  in  reference  to  Falkner  Swamp 
congregation  : 

De  Gemeente  te  Falkner  Schwam  heeft  een  van 
hout  wel  gebouwde  Kerke  opgeregt,  welke  langen  tyd 
kan  duuren  ;  maar  sy  is  nog  by  de  sestig  pond  op 
schuldig.  En  sy  heeft  als  nog  geen  woonhuysen,  nog 
voor  den  predicant,  nog  voor  voorlezer. 

English  Translation.— The  congregation  at  Falkner 
Swamp  has  erected  a  well-built  church  of  wood,  which 
will  last  a  long  time ;  but  they  are  yet  about  sixty 
pounds  in  debt.  And  they  have  as  yet  no  dwelling 
house,  either  for  the  minister  or  the  schoolmaster. 

After  the  Church  had  severed  her  connection  vriih 
the  Church  in  Holland  and  organized    a   Synod,    the 


156  EARLY    HISTORY 

proceedings  were  pablished  annually  all  the  way  down 
to  the  present  time,  but  until  1825  only  in  the  German 
language.  In  that  year  the  Synod  resolved  to  publish 
600  copies  of  the  minutes — 400  in  German  and  200  in 
English.  That  was  not  a  large  number.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  the  General  Synod  publishes  8100  copies  of 
its  minutes — 6600  in  English  and  1500  in  German. 
The  probability  is  that  in  the  not  distant  future  few,  if 
any,  German  minutes  will  be  printed. 

At  the  present  time  the  gospel  is  preached  in  the 
Reformed  Church  in  four  languages — English,  Ger- 
man, Hungarian  and  Bohemian. 


OF   THE    EEFOEMED   CHURCH.  157 


32. 

LANGUAGE  QUESTION. 

Oae  of  the  difficult  problems  with  which  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  this  country  had  to  wrestle  at  var- 
ious times  was  the  language  question.  The  Church 
was  founded  by  Germans,  and  during  many  years 
there  was  no  trouble,  because  all  the  members  were 
Germans.  All  the  services  were  conducted  in  the  Ger- 
man language,  and  everybody  was  satisfied. 

The  Germans  adhered  tenaciously  to  their  mother 
tongue,  which  was  only  natural,  and  they  were  slow  to 
yield  their  position.  This  strong  attachment  of  the 
Germans  to  their  language  was  the  cause  of  a  good  deal 
of  opposition  to  them  on  the  part  of  the  English  citi- 
zens. In  1727  some  people  remonstrated  with  Gov. 
Keith  against  the  naturalization  of  the  Germans  and 
Swiss  in  Lancaster  county,  because  these  people  '^  had 
resolved  to  speak  their  own  language. '^ 

But  whilst  their  Church  was  German,  the  Re- 
formed people  were  living  under  an  English  govern- 
ment, and  many  of  their  neighbors,  especially  in  Phila- 
delphia, were  speaking  the  English  language,  notably 
the  Quakers.  Legal  matters  were  transacted  in  Eng- 
lish. In  the  course  of  time  a  tendency  toward  the 
English  language  began  to  manifest  itself.  As  the 
years  passed  on,  this  tendency  increased,  especially  in 
the  towns.  And  this  tendency  was  the  cause  of  much 
friction  and  trouble  at  different  places. 


158  EARLY    HISTORY 

It  was  only  natural  that  the  time  should  come 
when  English  services  in  the  Reformed  Church  would 
be  demanded.  The  first  formal  movement  of  this 
kind  was  started  in  the  church  in  Philadelphia  on 
April  2,  1804,  when  the  consistory  called  a  meeting  of 
the  congregation  for  May  8  following  to  ascertain  the 
sentiment  of  the  people  on  the  question  of  having  occa- 
sional English  preaching.  This  action  was  the  begin- 
ning of  much  serious  trouble  in  the  congregation.  The 
result  of  the  May  meeting  was  a  tie  vote,  and  matters 
remained  as  before.  But  the  agitation  for  English  ser- 
vices was  continued,  and  various  petitions  came  before 
the  consistory.  In  1805  the  matter  was  brought  before 
the  Synod,  and  that  body  was  requested  to  recommend 
English  services  on  every  third  Sunday  ^^  for  the  bene- 
fit of  those  who  do  not  understand  the  German.'^  The 
Synod  evaded  the  matter,  and  merely  called  the  atten- 
tion of  the  congregation  to  the  danger  which  was 
threatening  it.  On  July  9,  1805,  this  motion  was 
made  in  the  consistory  :  '^  Resolved ^  That  as  the  Board 
of  Corporation  of  the  Race  street  church,  and  in  con- 
formity to  the  wish  of  Synod,  we  will  introduce  the 
English  language  into  our  services,  before  the  congre- 
gation shall  be  destroyed  through  strife."  (The  phrase 
'^  in  accordance  with  the  wish  of  Synod''  is  remark- 
able, in  view  of  that  body's  action  as  above  stated.) 
After  an  animated  discussion  the  vote  was  taken,  but 
resulted  in  a  tie.  Dr.  Samuel  Helffenstein,  the  pastor 
and  president  of  the  consistory,  voted  in  the  negative, 
and  the  proposition  for  English  services  was  again 
defeated. 


OF    THE   REFOEMED   CHURCH.  159 

In  the  following  year  (1806)  both  parties  appealed 
to  the  Synod  for  aid  in  their  troubles.  The  Synod  de- 
clined to  have  anything  to  do  Avith  the  difficulty,  be- 
cause both  parties  had  gone  to  court.  Those  in  favor 
of  the  English  language  now  withdrew,  organized  a 
separate  congregation,  and  subsequently  united  with 
the  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  They  erected  a  church 
which  was  dedicated  in  1810.  It  is  claimed  that  the 
Reformed  Church  was  the  first  denomination  to  intro- 
duce the  English  language  in  church  services. 

The  withdrawal  of  the  English  members  settled  the 
question  temporarily,  but  by  no  means  permanently. 
The  tendency  toward  English  continued  to  increase. 
The  children  of  the  good  old  German  fathers  inclined 
strongly  toward  the  language  of  the  country.  In  1817 
the  cjuestion  came  up  in  a  new  form.  The  German 
brethren  had  secured  a  majority  in  the  consistory  and 
summarily  dismissed  Dr.  Helffenstein,  the  pastor,  be- 
cause he  was  suspected  of  being  favorable  to  the  Eng- 
lish movement.  Dr.  H.  on  the  following  Sunday 
made  a  statement  of  the  matter  to  the  congregation, 
and  many  sided  with  him.  On  the  next  Sunday  the 
consistory  closed  the  church  against  him,  and  for  some 
time  the  pastor  conducted  services  in  the  school  house. 
The  matter  was  again  taken  to  the  court,  which  or- 
dered the  consistory  to  open  the  church. 

On  the  Sunday  after  the  court  decision,  when  Dr. 
Helifenstein  entered  the  pulpit,  the  German  members 
withdrew  and  organized  a  new  congregation  under  the 
name  of  Salem  church.  This  was  in  1817.  Thus  the 
old  mother  church  had  lost  two  parties,  one  English, 
the  other  German,  on  account  of  the  language  question. 


160  EARLY    HISTORY 

After  this  both  languages  were  used  in  the  Phila- 
delphia congregation.  Alternate  German  and  English 
services  were  introduced,  and  the  plan  worked  well  for 
some  years.  But  the  ^^nglish  tendency  became  stronger 
than  ever,  and  gradually  it  came  to  be  felt  that  a  city 
church  could  no  longer  prosper  with  both  languages. 
The  congregation  now  received  few  accessions  from  the 
Fatherland,  and  was  dependent  for  its  increase  upon  a 
community  which  was  becoming  more  English  every 
year.  Therefore  one  more  step  was  taken  in  1828  and 
the  German  language  was  dropped.  Rev.  Charles  G. 
Finney,  a  noted  revivalist,  was  employed  to  preach 
two  English  sermons  each  Sunday.  Mr.  Finney  in  his 
autobiography  states  that  he  preached  many  months  to 
large  congregations. 

The  experiences  and  trials  of  the  Reformed  congre- 
gation in  Philadelphia  were  repeated  in  many  other 
places.  The  language  question  was  of  the  same  nature 
in  each  case.  The  English  tendency  was  resisted  vig- 
orously for  a  long  time,  to  the  great  injury  of  the  con- 
gregations. Many  of  the  most  intelligent  and  pro- 
gressive members  left  and  united  with  English  denom- 
inations. Such  was  especially  the  case  in  Reading. 
Some  of  the  most  active  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Reading  are  the  children  of  Reformed  par- 
ents. In  this  city  there  was  no  English  preaching 
until  1842,  after  the  resignation  of  Rev.  Wm.  Pauli, 
when  the  consistory  resolved  to  call  a  minister  who 
could  preach  in  both  languages.  As  in  Philadelphia, 
the  use  of  both  languages  in  the  course  of  time  no 
longer  gave  satisfaction  in  the  First  church  in  Reading, 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  161 

and  in  1891   the  German   language    was    discontinued 
altogether. 

In  Lancaster  the  language  question  resulted  in  the 
church  being  locked  against  the  German  members 
about  the  year  1847.  They  then  held  a  service  in  the 
graveyard  in  the  rear  of  the  church.  The  question 
was  solved  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  English  members 
and  the  organization  of  St.  PauFs  church. 

As  far  as  the  waiter  knows,  Lebanon,  Allentown 
and  Pottstown  are  the  only  towns  in  Pennsylvania  in 
which  the  German  language  is  still  used  in  the  mother 
churches.  The  use  of  the  mother  tongue  has  been  dis- 
continued in  the  First  churches  of  Philadelphia,  Eas- 
ton,  Reading,  Lancaster,  Harrisburg,  Pottsville,  etc. 


162  EARLY   HISTORY 


33. 
AN  EARLY  GRAVEYARD. 

Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  reported  in  1744  that  he  and  the 
officers  of  the  Philadelphia  congregation  had  secnred 
an  acre  of  ground  in  the  city  for  a  burial  ground.  Un- 
til that  time  the  Reformed  people  had  to  bury  their 
dead  in  a  negro  slave  cemetery  !  The  acre  of  ground 
was  secured  for  50  pounds,  besides  six  shillings  yearly 
ground  rent.  The  ground  would  have  brought  200 
pounds.  But  this  purchase  proved  a  real  burden  to 
the  people.  They  could  hardly  raise  the  money  to  pay 
the  interest  and  ground  rent  on  this  tract,  besides  the 
four  pounds  rent  for  the  building  in  which  they  wor- 
shiped. 

This  ground  was  used  as  a  Reformed  graveyard  until 
1835,  when  the  city  council  took  forcible  possession  of 
the  ground  and  converted  it  into  a  public  park  known 
as  Franklin  Square.  The  congregation  was  paid  $5000 
for  the  ground.  Common  council  had  agreed  to  pay 
§50,000,  but  the  select  branch  refused.  The  tomb- 
stones were  laid  flat  on  the  ground  and  covered,  and 
the  place  where  the  pioneer  Reformed  of  Philadelphia 
were  buried  is  now  a  beautiful  public  square  in  the 
centre  of  the  city.  Here  are  buried  Revs.  Schlatter, 
Weyberg,  Hendel,  Steiuer,  Winkhaus  and  Rothenbiih- 
ler.     The    thousands   of  people   passing   through   the 


OF   THE   REFOKMED    CHURCH.  163 

park  do  not  know  that  they  are  treadiog  upon  sacred 
ground.  The  act  of  the  city  was  a  gross  injustice,  but 
the  Reformed  people  were  helpless.  The  matter  was 
taken  to  the  Supreme  Court,  but  the  result  was  adverse 
to  the  Reformed.  The  $5000  received  was  used  in 
constructing  vaults  in  the  church  lot  on  Race  street. 

The  First  Reformed  church  in  Philadelphia  is  still 
in  possession  of  the  original  deed  from  John  Penn  for 
the  above  ground. 


16-t  EAELY    HISTORY 


34. 

MONEY  NOT  GOING  TO  THE  RIGHT  PLACE. 
The  Noted  Reiff  Case. 

A  generatioD  and  less  ago  mauy  people  in  Berks 
county,  when  asked  to  contribute  for  benevolence,  re- 
plied :  ''  We  would  cheerfully  give,  but  the  money  will 
not  get  to  the  right  place.  You  know  how  it  was  in 
the  case  of  the  collection  in  Bern  church.  The  preacher 
kept  the  money. '^  This  was  of  course  a  lame  excuse, 
which  was  inspired  by  the  evil  one.  In  every  instance, 
when  this  excuse  was  made,  the  Bern  collection  case 
was  referred  to.  It  was  indeed  marvellous  that  every 
one  who  was  unwilling  to  contribute  had  heard  of  this 
one  case.  Collections  -had  been  lifted  regularly  in 
hundreds  of  places,  and  there  w^as  no  complaint  about 
money  not  reaching  the  intended  place.  This  isolated 
instance  had  to  be  heralded  far  and  wide.  Upon  this 
same  principle  we  are  told  that  a  lie  travels  faster  than 
the  truth.  Many  people  of  evil  hearts  enjoy  hearing 
bad  reports. 

There  was  a  case  in  the  early  history  of  our  Church 
when  it  took  about  fifteen  years  for  certain  monies  to 
reach  their  intended  place,  and  it  was  the  occasion  of 
an  unfortunate  scandal.  We  refer  to  the  celebrated 
Beiff  case. 

The  people  at  Skippack  were  poor,  and  being  di- 
vided into  two  parties,  the  Weiss   party  in    possession 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  165 

of  the  church  found  itself  unable  to  pay  for  the  church 
erected  in  1727.  Weiss  was  at  the  time  also  pastor  in 
Philadelphia,  where  he  had  supplanted  Boehni  the 
same  as  at  Skippack.  Therefore  Rev.  Mr.  Weiss  and 
Jacob  Reiff  of  Skippack  were  in  1730  sent  to  Holland 
to  collect  money  for  the  congregations  at  Skippack  and 
Philadelphia.  They  were  successful,  and  collected 
about  2100  florins,  or  §840.  Weiss  returned  to  this 
country  early  in  1731,  but  Reiff,  who  handled  the 
money,  did  not  return  until  the  fall  of  1732. 

The  people  at  Skippack  and  Philadelphia  eagerly 
awaited  his  return,  because  they  had  heard  of  his  suc- 
cess in  collecting.  But  upon  his  return  Reiif  refused 
to  account  for  the  money  and  ignored  the  matter.  The 
result  was  a  controversy,  which  lasted  fifteen  years. 
The  aid  of  the  civil  court  was  invoked  to  compel  Reiif 
to  pay  over  the  money,  but  this  effort  was  unsuccess- 
ful. Meanwhile  Rev.  Mr.  Weiss,  instead  of  remain- 
ing in  Pennsylvania,  accepted  a  call  from  New  York 
state.  This  made  the  matter  more  difficult.  Reiif 
claimed  to  have  invested  the  money  in  merchandise  in 
Europe  to  be  sent  to  Philadelphia,  and  insisted  that 
the  enterprise  had  been  a  failure.  But  he  failed  to 
state  who  had  received  the  goods.  There  was  much 
correspondence  with  the  Church  in  Holland  on  the 
subject. 

The  matter  caused  much  bad  blood.  ReifP  was 
denominated  a  church  robber.  Finally  he  divulged 
something  which  was  quite  a  revelation  to  the  people, 
and  which  tended  to  show  there  had  been  others  in 
collusion  with  ReifF.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Philadel- 
phia congregation  in   1734,  attended   by    some   thirty 


166  EARLY    HISTORY 

persons,  Mr.  Reiff  relieved  himself  in  these  words  : 
"  I  confess  that  I  am  a  church  robber,  but  Dr.  Diemer, 
Peter  Hillegas  and  Michael  Hillegas  are  also  church 
robbers  !  They  steal  the  bread  from  the  mouths  of  the 
Reformed  people  of  Philadelphia,  their  children  and 
children's  children.''  Reiif  then  displayed  a  letter 
which  the  seven  elders  in  Philadelphia,  including  the 
above-named  three,  had  written  to  him  while  in 
Europe,  in  which  they  directed  him  to  purchase  goods 
and  send  the  same  to  them.  He  was  to  have  six  per 
cent,  of  the  profits.  He  was  to  do  this  upon  his  own 
risk,  and  they  would  keep  him  harmless. 

This  was  truly  a  revelation.  It  is  stated  that  out- 
side of  the  parties  concerned  not  a  member  of  the  con- 
gregation knew  anything  of  the  scheme.  Reiff  claimed 
to  have  sent  the  goods  to  the  parties,  but  they  denied 
having  received  them.  How  this  was,  has  never  been 
explained.  Hitherto  Reiif  had  received  the  blame 
alone,  but  now  the  matter  assumed  a  different  aspect. 
The  cat  had  been  let  out  of  the  bag.  One  result  was 
that  the  elders  concerned  were  removed  from  office  and 
others  elected  in  their  place.  The  matter  also  caused 
the  resignation  of  the  pastor,  Rev.  John  B.  Rieger. 
Michael  Hillegas  was  a  well-to-do  merchant,  and  the 
father  of  Michael  Hillegas,  the  first  treasurer  ^f  the 
United  States  from  1775  to  1789. 

The  unfortunate  matter  continued  in  an  unsettled 
condition  until  after  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  came  here 
in  1746.  He  was  authorized  to  settle  the  unfortunate 
affair,  and  lost  no  time  in  calling  Mr.  Reiff  to  account. 
The  latter  still  sought  to  evade  the  matter,  but  when 
he  found  that  he  now  had  to  deal  with  a  man  of  firm- 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  167 

ness,  he  consented  to  render  an  account.  He  admitted 
having  received  2104  florins.  But  he  claimed  credit 
for  many  things ;  among  others  payment  for  services 
for  two  years,  which,  if  allowed,  would  have  left  the 
Church  in  debt  to  him  for  $40. 

After  hearing  all  the  facts  in  the  case,  Rev.  Mr. 
Schlatter  agreed  to  accept  1000  florins  or  §400  in  full 
settlement.  But  Mr.  Reiif  was  unwilling.  Mr.  Schlat- 
ter finally  offered  to  pay  15  pounds  out  of  his  own 
pocket  to  end  the  matter.  Yet  this  failed  to  help  the 
affair.  Finally  it  was  agreed  in  1747  to  submit  the 
matter  to  four  impartial  men,  with  the  understanding 
that  if  either  party  should  refuse  to  abide  by  their 
decision,  he  should  pay  a  penalty  of  2000  pounds.  The 
end  of  the  matter  was  that  Reiff  paid  one  hundred 
Spanish  pistoles  in  full  settlement.  This  was  equal  to 
135  pounds  Pennsylvania  money,  or  about  $400. 

The  committee  mentioned  above  consisted  of  Thomas 
Lawrence,  afterward  mayor  of  the  city,  Richard  P. 
Schildknapen,  Israel  Pemberton,  jr.,  and  John  Reynell. 
After  examining  the  case  thoroughly,  they  decided  that 
Mr.  Reiif  should  pay  100  pistoles,  or  about  $400. 
This  Mr.  Reiff  did.  The  money  was  thus  divided. 
In  1747  $200  was  given  to  the  Philadelphia  congrega- 
tion, and  in  1755  $100  was  given  to  Germantown  and 
$100  to  Skippack.  Thus  was  this  sad  affair  finally 
closed.  It  had  taken  fifteen  years  to  secure  a  final 
settlement,  and  twenty-four  years  until  the  last  part  of 
the  money  was  applied. 

This  affair,  so  long  a  bone  of  contention,  caused 
much  bitter  feeling  and   great   disappointment.     The 


168  EARLY    HISTORY 

people  had  expected  a  large  sum,  but  after  waitiug 
mauy  years  received  ouly  a  little.  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter 
suffered  much  ou  account  of  it.  He  was  suspected  of 
not  having  dealt  fairly,  which  was  not  true.  He  pub- 
lished a  statement  of  the  settlement  in  Saur's  paper  on 
June  16,  1747,  but  this  did  not  fully  silence  the  tongue 
of  slander.  In  1749  the  Coetus  declared  Schlatter's 
innocence. 

The  question  naturally  arises,  how  can  Mr.  Reiif's 
strange  action  be  explained  ?  He  was  a  well-known 
business  man,  and  allowed  his  reputation  to  suifer. 
The  aid  of  the  state  authorities  had  been  invoked.  On 
Sept.  17,  1743,  James  Logan,  Secretary  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, wrote  :  "  I  am  informed  that  the  debtor  (Reiif ) 
is  a  roo^ue.''  One  would  think  that  the  amount  in- 
volved  had  been  too  small  for  a  man  of  standing  to 
allow  his  reputation  to  be  ruined.  It  looks  very  much 
as  if  Reiff  had  shielded  the  elders  of  Philadelphia,  who 
had  been  in  league  with  him  until  the  meeting  in  Phil- 
adelphia referred  to  above.  It  is  significant  that  Dr. 
Diemer,  who  had  been  appointed  with  Rev.  P.  H.  Dor- 
sius  to  prosecute  Reiff,  was  very  slow  in  proceeding 
against  the  delinquent. 

The  whole  transaction  has  never  been  fully  cleared 
up.  Reiff  claimed  that  by  the  direction  of  the  Phila- 
delphia elders  he  had  invested  the  money  collected  in 
goods  in  England  and  sent  them  to  them,  but  they  de- 
nied having  received  them.  Thus  the  matter  became  a 
question  of  veracity  which  remains  unanswered  to  this 
day.  This  is  all  the  more  strange  from  the  fact  that 
the  elders  whom  Reiff  accused  as  being  in  collusion  with 
him  were  men  of  standing,  especially  the  two  Hillegases. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  169 


35. 

YELLOW  FEVER  IN  PHILADELPHL/V. 

In  1793  yellow  fever  broke  out  in  Philadelphia. 
The  mortality  was  very  heavy,  and  the  distress  and 
misery  great.  The  scourge  was  repeated  in  the  follow- 
ing years,  but  was  most  severe  in  1797  and  1798. 
Many  of  the  people  who  could  do  so  fled  from  the  city. 
Between  the  years  1793  and  1799  twelve  thousand 
people  died  of  the  fever.  In  1793  5000  persons  died 
of  the  fever,  or  one  of  every  five  who  had  remained  in 
the  city.  Numerous  persons  died  in  the  streets,  be- 
cause they  could  find  no  shelter.  Gov.  Mifflin  and 
Alexander  Hamilton  were  stricken  with  the  fever,  but 
both  recovered. 

There  were  many  cases  of  heroic  devotion  to  duty 
during  these  trying  times.  Two  Reformed  pastors  and 
the  schoolmaster  fell  victims  to  the  disease.  They 
might  have  left  the  city,  as  did  many  others,  but  they 
remained  at  their  posts  until  death  called  them  away. 
At  the  first  breaking  out  of  the  fever  Rev.  John  Henry 
Winkhaus  was  pastor  of  the  First  Reformed  church  on 
Race  street.  He  commenced  his  ministry  here  on 
Sept.  26,  1790.  He  died  of  the  fever  on  October  3, 
1793,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  which  is  now 
Franklin  Square.  He  contracted  the  fatal  disease 
while  visiting  the  schoolmaster,  who  also  died  of  the 
fever.  12 


170  EARLY    HISTORY 

Rev.  Mr.  Winkhaus'  successor  in  the  pastorate  of 
the  Reformed  church  was  Rev.  Wm.  HeDdel,  D.  D.,  a 
venerable  and  saintly  man.  ^' His  hair  was  long  and 
white,  his  countenance  serene  and  heavenly,  and  his 
whole  appearance  beautifully  venerable  and  saint-like." 
Daring  the  yellow  fever  scourge  which  raged  in  1798 
Dr.  Hendel  continued  at  his  post,  comforting  the  sick 
and  burying  the  dead.  The  city- was  largely  deserted, 
and  there  were  many  deaths.  It  is  stated  that  nearly 
all  the  pastors  had  left  their  people  and  fled  to  places 
of  safety.  Dr.  Hendel  was  at  last  also  stricken  with 
the  fatal  disease,  and  died  on  Sept.  29,  1798,  and  was 
buried  in  Franklin  Square,  beside  the  remains  of  Revs. 
Schlatter,  Steiner,  Weyberg  and  Winkhaus.  In  1837 
the  city  took  possession  of  the  cemetery  and  converted 
it  into  a  public  square,  now  known  as  Franklin  Square. 
The  tombstones  were  laid  flat  on  the  earth  and  covered. 
Thousands  of  people  now  pass  through  the  place  with- 
out knowing  upon  what  sacred  ground  they  are  treading. 

Another  noble  citizen  during  the  yellow  fever  epi- 
demics was  Stephen  Girard,  the  wealthy  founder  of 
Girard  College,  who  aided  in  burying  many  victims  of 
the  fever. 

An  examination  disclosed  the  fact  that  the  fever 
was  caused  by  Dock  creek,  a  small  stream  flowing 
through  the  city,  into  which  a  number  of  tan  yards 
and  many  dwellings  were  drained.  The  nuisance  was 
abated,  and  it  was  also  resolved  to  supply  the  people 
with  water  taken  from  the  Schuylkill  river.  Since 
then  the  yellow  fever  never  visited  Philadelphia.  It 
was  a  great  pity  that  this   was   not   done  earlier    and 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  171 

thousands  of  lives  saved.  A  pumping  station  was 
erected  at  Chestnut  street  and  water  taken  from  the 
Schuylkill  at  that  point.  But  if  that  were  done  now, 
the  probability  is  that  there  would  be  a  worse  epidemic 
than  was  that  of  yellow  fever  described  above.  The 
water  at  Chestnut  street  is  now  as  bad  and  impure  as 
water  can  be.  The  Schuylkill  is  now  tapped  at  Fair- 
mount  dam,  and  it  is  bad  enough  there. 


172  EARLY  HISTORY 


36. 

EARLY  REFORMED  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS. 

The  First  Reformed  church  of  Philadelphia  has  the 
honor  of  having  the  oldest  Sunday  school,  not  only  in 
our  Church,  but  also  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  The 
school  was  organized  on  April  14,  1806,  with  forty 
members.  We  must  not  think  that  this  was  the  be- 
ginning of  religious  instruction  in  this  congregation. 
Before  the  Sunday  school  there  was  during  many  years 
a  parochial  school,  in  which  the  children  received  re- 
ligious and  secular  instruction.  We  cannot  state  the 
date  when  the  parochial  school  was  established,  but  the 
minutes  of  the  consistory  show  that  it  was  already  in 
existence  in  1747.  (The  congregation  itself  was  organ-, 
ized  in  1728.)  The  first  school  house  was  erected  in 
1753-4.  The  first  teacher  appears  to  have  been  Mr. 
John  Barger.  The  qualifications  of  the  teacher  in- 
cluded reading,  writing,  arithmetic  and  singing,  and  he 
had  to  submit  to  an  examination.  He  had  to  be  a 
God-fearing,  virtuous  man,  and  set  a  good  example  to 
the  young.  He  was  to  teach  three  hours  in  the  fore- 
noon and  three  hours  in  the  afternoon,  and  was  to 
open  and  close  each  session  with  ^^  a  hearty  prayer  to 
God  for  His  grace  and  blessing."  It  was  the  duty  of 
the  teacher  to  teach  the  children  to  pray.  He  was  to 
teach  them  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  other  prayers,   the 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  173 

Ten  Commandments,  the  Articles  of  the  Christian 
Faith,  as  well  as  Scripture  passages.  He  was  also  to 
sing  with  the  children.  Those  children  able  to  read 
were  taught  the  catechism  until  they  had  committed 
all  the  questions  and  answers.  The  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregation was  the  superintendent  of  the  school,  and  had 
to  be  acknowledged  as  such.  Each  child  was  to  pay 
five  shillings  per  quarter  for  instruction.  In  the  case 
of  poor  children  the  congregation  paid  the  teacher 
three  shillings  per  quarter  from  the  church  treasury. 
The  congregation  supplemented  the  income  of  the 
teacher  by  eight  pounds  per  year,  besides  the  use  of  a 
house.  The  qualifications  and  duties  of  the  teacher  in 
Philadelphia  applied  to  the  parochial  school  teachers 
generally.  Besides  the  duties  above  enumerated  they 
had  to  serve  as  organists  and  leaders  of  singing  in  the 
church. 

The  Sunday  school  organized  in  1806  had  many 
trials.  During  many  years  the  school  was  not  self- 
supporting,  and  the  congregation  had  to  aid  in  its  sup- 
port. At  times  the  school  was  greatly  reduced  in  mem- 
bership. In  1847  it  had  been  actually  disbanded  for  a 
short  time.  When  Dr.  Bomberger  became  pastor  in 
1854,  the  school  consisted  of  only  three  teachers  and 
about  twenty  scholars  on  account  of  a  secession  which 
had  oi3curred  a  short  time  previous.  But  the  school 
was  soon  reinvigorated,  and  by  1858  it  had  increased 
to  250  members.  At  present  the  membership  is  365. 
The  Sunday  school  was  conducted  on  the  old  church 
site  on  Race  street,  corner  of  Fourth  street,  until  May, 
1884,  when  it  was  removed  to  the  new  church  at  Tenth 


174  EARLY    HISTORY 

and  Wallace  streets.  The  centennial  of  the  school  was 
celebrated  on  Sunday,  April  29,  1906.  Rev.  David 
Van  HornCj  the  only  surviving  former  pastor,  preached 
the  sermon.  The  services  were  in  charge  of  the  pas- 
tor, Rev.  E.  F.  Wiest. 

As  stated  above,  the  first  Reformed  Sunday  school 
in  our  country  was  founded  in  1806  with  forty  mem- 
bers. Now  there  are  in  the  Reformed  Church  over 
1600  Sunday  schools  with  about  25,000  officers  and 
teachers  and  200,000  scholars.  A  large  increase  in  a 
hundred  years. 

As  far  as  the  writer  could  ascertain,  the  next  to  the 
oldest  Sunday  school  in  the  Reformed  Church  is  that 
started  by  Mrs.  Maria  L.  Hertz,  wife  of  Rev.  Daniel 
Hertz,  in  the  historic  Bethany  congregation,  near  Eph- 
rata,  Pa.  In  the  year  1823  or  1824  she  gathered  the 
children  of  the  neighborhood  at  the  parsonage  on  every 
Sunday  evening  and  gave  them  religious  instruction. 
After  awhile  the  school  was  transferred  to  the  church. 
The  date  of  the  transfer  is  not  known,  but  it  was  before 
1837,  as  at  that  time  there  was  a  well-organized  school 
in  the  church.  This  pious  lady  was  the  pioneer  in  the 
Sunday  school  work  in  that  region. 

The  Sunday  school  of  Zion's  church  at  York  dates 
back  to  1825.  Rev.  Lewis  Mayer  was  pastor  there 
from  1821  to  1825.  He  introduced  English  services, 
and  during  his  pastorate  a  Sunday  school  room  was 
erected  in  the  rear  of  the  church,  which  implies  that  a 
Sunday  school  was  already  in  existence  before  1825. 
The  present  membership  of  Zion's  school  is  about  600. 

The  Reformed  people  in  Allentown  (in  early  times 
called  Northampton)    united   with   the    Lutherans  in 


OF    THE    REFOEMED   CHURCH.  175 

1825  in  organiziDg  a  Suoday  school.  Rev.  John  Gob- 
recht  was  the  pastor  of  the  Reformed  people.  At  the 
opening  session  12  children,  4  teachers  and  a  few  spec- 
tators were  present.  Michael  D.  Eberhard  was  the 
first  superintendent.  For  a  number  of  years  the  school 
was  conducted  without  any  formal  organization,  being 
without  constitution  or  elected  officers.  Every  child 
brought  its  own  book,  a  New  Testament,  the  Psalms  or 
a  primer.  All  the  books  were  in  German.  Some  were 
opposed  to  the  Sunday  school,  because  there  were  then 
parochial  schools.  For  several  years  the  school  met 
alternately  in  the  Reformed  and  Lutheran  churches. 
During  the  first  ten  years  the  school  was  several  times 
discontinued.  In  1835  it  was  reopened  in  St.  Paul's 
Lutheran  church,  only  to  be  again  discontinued.  Some 
church  members  objected  to  the  school  being  con- 
ducted in  the  church  on  the  ground  that  the  scholars 
soiled  the  benches.  In  1836  it  was  reopened  in  a 
school  house.  In  1840  the  third  church  on  the  old 
Reformed  ground  was  completed,  and  the  school  came 
home  again,  to  the  place  where  it  had  been  founded 
sixteen  years  before.  In  1845  a  constitution  and  by- 
laws were  adopted.  In  1846  charges  were  brought 
against  several  teachers  for  attending  a  ball  and  danc- 
ing, and  they  were  suspended  for  four  weeks.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  they  returned,  made  a  confession  and 
promised  reform,  and  were  restored.  In  1849  the 
school  consisted  of  35  teachers  and  180  scholars.  In 
1856  the  Lutherans  withdrew  from  the  school.  In 
1905  Zion's  school  consisted  of  47  officers  and  teachers 
and  812  scholars. 


176  EARLY    HISTORY 

The  Sunday  school  of  the  First  church  at  Lebanon 
was  organized  in  August,  1828.  Previous  to  that  time 
the  Reformed  people  were  connected  with  the  union 
school  of  the  town.  Mr.  Jacob  Roedel  was  the  first 
superintendent  and  served  four  years,  although  he  was 
a  Lutheran.  Mrs.  William  Moore  prepared  a  question 
book  for  the  study  of  uniform  lessons.  The  superin- 
tendents have  been  Jacob  Roedel,  William  Yeho, 
William  Hiester,  John  Ermentrour,  Elias  Raber  and 
Dr.  Jos.  L.  Lemberger.  The  latter  was  elected  on 
June  13,  1860,  and  is  still  in  office,  having  served  46 
years  continuously. — As  in  the  case  of  many  of  the 
older  congregations,  the  First  church  at  Lebanon  main- 
tained a  parochial  school  from  an  early  date.  The  date 
of  the  organization  of  this  school  is  not  known,  but  it 
was  in  existence  before  1773.  In  that  year's  account 
there  is  an  item  of  expense  of  forty  cents  "  for  a  bucket 
and  tin  cup  for  the  school  house.''  In  1905  the  school 
consisted  of  88  officers  and  teachers  and  1043  scholars. 

One  of  the  oldest  Sunday  schools  in  the  Reformed 
Church  is  that  of  the  First  church  in  Easton.  The 
congregation  was  organized  about  1750,  and  the  present 
church  was  erected  in  1776.  The  Sunday  school  was 
organized  in  June,  1830,  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
Thomas  Pomp.  We  have  been  unable  to  obtain  any 
particulars  in  reference  to  the  organization  of  the 
school  or  to  its  early  history.  The  present  member- 
ship of  the  Sunday  school  is  550. 

The  Sunday  school  of  the  First  church  in  Lancas- 
ter was  organized  in  1832  with  some  30  teachers  and 
upwards  of  200  scholars.     There  were  Sunday  schools 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  177 

in  several  other  churches  of  the  city  then  already. 
The  establishing  of  a  Sunday  school  in  the  Reformed 
congregation  was  already  urged  in  the  consistory  in 
1821,  the  record  says,  by  a  "  respectable  man/^  who 
stated  that  Sunday  schools  were  being  generally  intro- 
duced, and  the  congregation  must  necessarily  lose,  un- 
less it  fell  into  line  in  this  movement.  But  nothing 
was  done  then.  In  1828  the  matter  was  again  brought 
up  in  the  consistory,  and  it  was  agreed  to  start  a  Sun- 
day school  in  the  school  house  in  which  the  parochial 
school  was  conducted.  However  the  matter  was  once 
more  deferred,  and  the  organization  of  the  school  was 
delayed  until  1832,  when  it  was  organized  and  con- 
ducted in  the  church.  The  present  membership  of  the 
school  is  about  260.  The  parochial  school  was  founded 
soon  after  the  organization  of  the  congregation. 

The  Sunday  school  of  Boehm's  church  in  Mont- 
gomery county  was  organized  on  July  27,  1834.  Mr. 
Fred.  Nuss  was  elected  superintendent.  Rev.  George 
Heilig,  a  Lutheran  clergyman,  delivered  an  address. 
It  is  stated  that  during  the  first  season  the  school  was 
attended  by  17  teachers  and  117  scholars.  The  school 
has  had  a  continuous  existence  ever  since. 

The  First  Reformed  Sunday  school  of  Reading  was 
organized  in  1840.  Previous  to  that  time  the  Re- 
formed people  were  connected  with  the  union  school 
which  held  its  sessions  in  the  court  house  in  Penn 
square,  which  school  was  commenced  in  1819.  In 
1840  the  Reformed  people  changed  the  cellar  of  the 
church  erected  in  1832  into  a  basement  for  the  Sunday 
school.     The  place  was  so  dark  that  a   lot    of  tallow 


178  EARLY    HISTORY 

dips  were  kept  burning  during  the  sessions  to  enable 
the  people  to  read.  Mr.  Henry  Ermentrout  was  the 
first  superintendent,  who  served  only  a  short  time.  He 
w^as  succeeded  by  Mr.  A.  F.  Boas,  who  continued  in 
office  until  1877,  a  period  of  37  years.  He  was  a  great 
friend  of  children,  and  had  been  superintendent  of  a 
small  colored  school  when  he  was  only  sixteen  years  of 
age.  Among  the  scholars  attending  the  school  in  the 
cellar  still  living  are  Dr.  W.  K.  Zieber,  of  Hanover  ; 
Mrs.  Sarah  B.  Soder,  Jacob  B.  Fricker,  Jacob  B.  Bech- 
tel  and  Mrs.  Rebecca  J.  Hantsch,  of  Reading.  One  of 
the  teachers  w^as  the  late  Prof  John  S.  Ermentrout. 
At  present  the  school  has  a  membership  of  over  1300. 
— In  1755  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  organized  one  of 
the  charity  schools  in  the  Reformed  church  at  Read- 
ing, which  was  partly  supported  with  foreign  money. 
Subsequently  the  congregation  maintained  it  until 
1848.  The  school  house  stood  at  the  corner  of  Seventh 
and  Washington  streets,  and  was  sold  in  1850. 

In  1841  the  first  Sunday  school  in  the  White  Oak 
congregation  of  the  Bethany  charge,  Lancaster  county, 
was  organized  by  Matthias  Hoffer,  Henry  Keiser  and 
others.  After  being  conducted  in  the  church  for  three 
or  four  years  the  school  was  removed  to  another  loca- 
tion. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  179 


37. 

SERVICES  FOR  CHILDREN. 

Not  many  years  ago  Children's  Day  was  intro- 
duced in  the  Reformed  Church,  and  this  day  is  now 
very  generally  observed.  But  we  must  not  think  that 
special  services  for  children  are  a  modern  institution. 
The  Sunday  school  is  often  so  greatly  magnified  that 
the  impression  is  apt  to  be  made  that  our  fathers  did 
not  know  the  needs  of  the  children,  or  did  not  concern 
themselves  about  them.  Nothing  could  be  more  erron- 
eous. The  fact  is  that  good  people  always  cared  for 
the  religious  instruction  of  their  children.  No  people 
were  ever  more  particular  in  this  matter  than  the  Jews. 
Every  child  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  history 
of  this  people.  Their  best  school  for  the  children  was 
the  family,  and  the  father  was  the  teacher.  The  his- 
tory of  the  Jews  was  constantly  rehearsed  in  the  fam- 
ily, and  in  this  way  the  children  were  thoroughly 
schooled.  Paul  says  of  young  Timothy  that  from  a 
child  he  knew  the  Scriptures. 

Substantially  the  same  may  be  said  of  our  fathers 
in  Germany.  By  means  of  the  parochial  schools  and 
Sunday  afternoon  catechization  the  children  were  thor- 
oughly indoctrinated.  Religious  instruction  was  im- 
parted in  the  parochial  school  by  the  teacher,  who  was 
a  pious  man  and  stood  next  to  the  pastor  in  the  com- 


180  EARLY    HISTORY 

m unity.  Then  on  every  Sunday  afternoon  the  pastor 
instructed  the  children  from  the  catechism.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  the  children  in  those  days  possessed  a  more 
thorough  knowledge  of  religion  than  those  of  any  later 
period. 

Our  fathers  in  this  country  continued  the  good  cus- 
tom of  the  Fatherland.  The  parochial  school  per- 
formed its  good  work  here  too  until  it  was  supplanted 
by  the  free  school.  Unfortunately  with  the  discontin- 
uance of  the  parochial  school  religious  instruction  in 
the  weekday  school  passed  away  almost  entirely.  In 
some  instances  the  New  Testament  is  still  being  read. 

The  first  Children's  Day  service  of  which  we  have 
a  record  was  held  in  the  Reformed  church  at  Lebanon 
on  Sunday,  June  24,  1792.  The  service  was  held  in 
the  school  house  in  the  rear  of  the  church.  The  pastor 
was  Rev.  Ludwig  Rupp,  and  the  program  used  on  this 
occasion  is  still  preserved.  Of  course  it  was  in  Ger- 
man. There  was  no  English  service  at  that  time,  and 
there  was  of  course  no  Sunday  school.  (The  latter 
was  started  in  1828.)  At  this  Children's  Day  service 
there  was  responsive  reading  by  the  pastor  and  the 
school,  and  there  was  a  choir  which  rendered  music. 

The  program  is  pervaded  by  a  beautiful  Christian 
spirit.  Jesus  is  represented  as  the  great  Children's 
Friend  whose  blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin.  Notwith- 
standing their  sinfulness  He  welcomes  all  and  imparts 
His  grace  to  all  who  seek  Him.  The  children  are 
asked  to  dedicate  themselves  to  Him  in  body,  soul  and 
spirit. 

At  a  later  period  the  late  Dr.  F.  W.  Kremer  intro- 
duced   quarterly    children's    services.       The    regular 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  181 

church  services  were  always  well  attended  on  the  part 
of  children  and  young  people,  but  once  a  quarter  the 
Sunday  school  was  taken  into  the  church  and  appro- 
priate services  held.  The  pastor  preached  a  sermon 
suited  for  the  occasion.  These  quarterly  children's 
services  were  very  much  like  those  now  held  on  what 
is  known  as  Children's  Day.  The  writer  has  vivid 
and  pleasant  recollections  of  these  services  which  he 
attended  as  a  boy. 


182  EARLY    HISTORY 


38. 
EARLY  CHURCH  SOCIETIES. 

The  oldest  society  in  the  Reformed  Church  is  the 
Ministerial  Relief  Society,  which  was  organized  in  1773 
by  the  Coetus.  The  object  was  to  aid  disabled  minis- 
ters and  widows  of  ministers.     (See  page  188.) 

Early  Brotherhood. 

The  first  congregational  society  of  which  the  writer 
has  any  record  is  that  of  a  Brotherhood.  It  was  organ- 
ized by  the  male  members  of  the  First  church  in  Phil- 
adelphia on  February  10,  1806.  Its  specific  object 
was  ''  to  preserye  the  German  language,  diyine  services 
and  schools.'^  The  time  was  during  the  first  agitation 
for  English  services.  The  members  of  this  Brother- 
hood realized  the  need  of  co-operation  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  their  mother  tongue.  In  1807  the  Brotherhood 
addressed  a  communication  to  the  consistory,  which 
states  its  object  more  fully.     This  letter  is  as  follows  : 

Philadelphia,  February  13th,  1807. 
Reverend  avd  Worthy  Mnnbers  of  the  Consistory  : 

It  is  well  known  to  you  that  on  February  10th  of 
last  year  a  brotherhood  was  established  among  the  men 
in  Mr.  SchinkeFs  house,  "'  to  preserve  the  German  lan- 
guage, divine  services  and  schools."  This  brotherhood 
held  its  meetings  in  the  school  house  every  month. 
On  March  10th  35  members  of  the  congregation  were 
enrolled  for  this  purpose,    but   since   that   time   some 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  183 

have  stayed  away  altogether.  You  know,  dear  sirs, 
that  the  result  of  the  last  election  was  secured  with 
heavy  cost.  If  it  had  not  been  done  w^e  would  have 
been  lost  entirely,  and  would  have  had  to  submit  to 
the  English  yoke.  We  regard  it  as  necessary,  if  Ger- 
man services  are  to  continue,  that  the  youth  in  our 
congregation  enjoy  more  instruction  and  be  held  to- 
gether according  to  our  best  ability. 

Already  on  the  14th  of  April  we  took  measures  to 
establish  a  Sunday  school,  because  our  regulations  men- 
tion particularly  the  cultivation  of  the  German  lan- 
guage, divine  services  and  the  schools.  Hence  it  w^as 
our  duty  to  carry  on  the  good  work  towards  comple- 
tion. We  elected  teachers,  fit  to  begin  and  to  continue 
this  laborious  and  troublesome  work.  Hardly  had  it 
become  known  in  our  congregation  when  parents  sent 
their  children  with  great  joy,  even  from  the  "  Xeck" 
and  Kensington,  a  great  distance,  to  our  Sunday  school. 
On  the  first  Sunday  40  children  were  present,  since 
that  time  the  number  has  grown  to  100.  It  is  incum- 
bent upon  you,  dear  sirs,  as  overseers  of  our  congrega- 
tion, to  support  the  German  schools  more  and  more. 
Take  a  look  at  the  Lutheran  congregation  and  notice 
what  measures  are  there  taken  and  how  they  interest 
themselves  in  the  schools.  Their  congregation  is  about 
half  again  as  strong  as  ours,  but  they  have  four  week- 
day schools  and  two  Sunday  schools,  wdiile  w^e  have 
only  two,  namely,  one  weekday  school  and  one  Sundav 
school.  .  .  .  Therefore  do  not  delay  any  longer,  but 
take  everything  into  consideration,  especially  our 
schools.  Where  do  the  many  sects  come  from  ?  From 
a  lack  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  religion,  when  one 
believes  this  and  the  other  that,  and  at  last  none  knows 
what  to  believe.  We  are  convinced  that  it  is  high 
time  and  our  duty  more  and  more  to  establish  and  to 
confirm  our  children  in  their  religion,  as  Paul  praises 
young  Timothy  that  from  a  child  he  had    known    the 


184  EAELY   HISTORY 

holy  Scriptures,  which  were  able  to   make    him   wise 
unto  salvation  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Sunday  school  has  had  expenses  since  its  es- 
tablishment. Books,  paper,  ink,  pens,  a  box  in  which 
to  keep  the  books,  etc.,  had  to  be  bought.  This  money 
has  been  taken  temporarily  from  the  treasury  of  the 
brotherhood.  Last  year  we  appealed  to  you.  We  re- 
ceived an  answer,  but  there  was  in  it  no  reference  to 
the  support  of  the  school.  We  had  to  be  satisfied  with 
that.  But  now  since  our  debt  has  increased,  through 
the  last  election,  we  feel  compelled  to  appeal  to  you 
again  and  to  ask  jou  that  a  collection  in  behalf  of  our 
Sunday  school  be  taken  in  church,  in  order  that  we 
may  return  to  the  brotherhood  the  money  advanced  to 
us.  The  rest  of  the  money  will  be  used  to  buy  books 
and  other  necessaries. 

We  are  with  high  esteem, 

Jacob  Belsterling. 

Georg  Muller,  Johan  Christ,  Von  Hof,  Philip 
Mertz,  Friedrich  Schenkel,  Adam  Holl. 

Early  Women's  Society. 

The  women  of  the  Reformed  church  in  Philadel- 
phia also  had  an  early  society  for  a  most  laudable  ob- 
ject. It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  date  of  the  organi- 
zation is  unknown.  Its  constitution  was  first  pub- 
lished in  1818,  but  it  is  believed  that  the  society  ex- 
isted a  long;  tiuie  before  that.  The  constitution  was 
published  in  the  first  number  of  the  magazine  which 
bears  the  title  "  Evangelische  Erbauliche  Aufsatze.^^ 
The  magazine  contains  articles  on  Sabbath  observance, 
the  festival  days,  etc.,  and  also  a  hymn  sung  at  the 
monthly  meeting  of  the  society. 

We  herewith  append  a  translation  of  the  main  por- 
tion of  the  constitution  : 


OF   THE  ^[reformed    CHURCH.  185 

Art.  1.  This  society  shall  bear  the  name  The 
Women's  Society  for  the  promotion  and  exercise  of 
true  godliness  in  the  High  German  Reformed  Church 
in  Philadelphia. 

Art.  4.  The  object  of  this  society  shall  be  to  pro- 
mote godliness  by  divine  assistance  among  the  mem- 
bers and  others. 

Art.  5.  The  society  shall  seek  to  secure  the  attend- 
ance of  the  women  of  the  congregation  at  public  wor- 
ship on  Sundays  and  at  the  weekly  prayer-meetings. 

Art.  6.  The  society  shall  consider  the  poor  of  the 
congregation,  and  for  this  purpose  contribute  12J  cents 
per  month.  Besides  this  every  member  admitted  into 
the  society  shall  make  a  voluntary  offering  for  the 
treasury. 

Art.  7.  The  society  shall  seek  to  send  poor  chil- 
dren to  the  school  as  far  as  the  treasury  will  allow. 

Art.  8.  A  committee^of  eight  persons  shall  be  ap- 
pointed— two  for  the  city,  two  for  South wark,  two  for 
the  Northern  Liberties  and  two  for  Kensington — to 
look  after  the  female  members  who  may  neglect  public 
worship  and  the  prayer  meeting,  and  to  admonish  such 
of  their  duty  to  attend  the  preaching  of  the  word  on 
Sunday  morning  and  afternoon. 

Art.  9.  This  society  shall  concern  itself  about  the 
girls  of  the  Sunday  school. 

Art.  10.  This  society  shall  publish  evangelical 
tracts  and  edifying  compositions  with  the  assistance  of 
the  pastor.  Should  the  Lord  bless  the  effort,  there 
shall  eventually  be  published  an  evangelical  magazine. 

The  balance  of  the  constitution  relates  to  the  duties 
of  the  officers. 

The  above  two  documents  are, interesting  as  show- 
ing that  the  men  and  women  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  Philadelphia  a  hundred  years  ago  were  good  and 
13 


186  EARLY    HISTORY 

earnest  people.      Tlie   objects  of  botli   societies    were 
most  laudable. 

The  following  hymn  was  sung  at  the  monthly  meet- 
ings of  the  Women's  Society  in  Philadelphia.  Both 
the  constitution  and  the  hymn  have  come  to  us  through 
the  kindness  of  Rev.  A.  Stapleton,  of  Wrightsville,  Pa. 

Uns  Schwache,  Herr,  verachte  nicht, 

Die  du  erwiihlet  hast. 
Wir  wandeln  ja  in  deinem  Licht, 

Hilf  tragen  jede  Last. 

Herr  Jesu  !  nns  verbinde  ganz 

In  Lieb'  und  Einigkeit, 
CJnd  schenke  Weisheit,  Geistesglanz, 

Uns  alien  Seligkeit. 

Die  Heerde,  Jesu  !  sammle  du, 
Durch  deiuen  Geist  und  Wort, 

Auch  die  Verlornen  fiihr'  herzu, 
8ey  unser  starker  Hort ! 

Die  Armen,  Herr  !  verlasse  nicht, 

Die  Kinder  segne  du. 
Komm  unter  uns,  O  Lebenslicht ! 

Und  schenke  Fried  und  Ruh. 

Breit  aus,  O  Herr,  das  Christenthum, 

Ach,  baue  dir  dein  Reich, 
Zu  deines  Namens  Preis  und  Ruhm, 

Herr  Gott,  wer  ist  dir  gleich  ! 

So  singen  wir  mit  Herz  und  Mund 

Dein  Lob.     Halleluja  ! 
Und  machen  deine  Wunder  kiind. 

Schweigt,  unser  Gott  ist  nab'  ! 

In  more  recent  years  the  Church  has  had  numer- 
ous societies.     Congregational  missionary  societies  have 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  187 

long  since  existed,  as  well  as  Women's  Mite  or  Benevo- 
lent Societies,  etc.  There  was  during  many  years  a 
female  prayer  meeting  in  the  First  Reformed  church  at 
Lebanon. 

About  twenty  years  ago  Women's  Classical  and 
Sy nodical  Missionary  Societies  were  organized.  When 
these  came  before  the  General  Synod  of  1890  for  recog- 
nition, the  matter  led  to  an  animated  discussion.  Some 
appeared  to  fear  that  the  women  were  going  to  far,  and 
reaching  beyond  their  legitimate  sphere.  Some  ex- 
pressions were  made  which  afterward  had  to  be  re- 
called. Some  were  quick  to  quote  Paul  that  the 
^^  women  should  be  silent  in  church."  It  is  indeed 
remarkable  how  strong  was  the  prejudice  on  the  part 
of  some  ministers  against  women's  missionary  societies. 
At  a  subsequent  meeting  of  a  District  Synod  a  lady 
foreign  missionary  of  the  Reformed  Church  had  been 
scheduled  to  speak  in  the  church  on  a  certain  evening 
during  the  sessions,  but  the  pastor  loci  could  not  bear 
the  idea  of  a  woman  speaking  in  his  church,  and  she 
was  forbidden.  She  might  go  to  the  ends  of  the  earth 
to  carry  the  gospel  of  Jesus  to  the  heathen,  but  she 
must  not  undertake  to  speak  in  a  Reformed  church, 
because  she  was  a  woman  !  The  lady  accepted  an  in- 
vitation to  speak  in  another  church,  where  she  received 
a  great  ovation.  But  fortunately  things  are  changed 
now. 

At  the  present  time  we  have  no  lack  of  societies  in 
the  Church,  but  rather  a  surplus.  It  is  felt  that  the 
Church  now  spends  far  too  much  energy  upon  organi- 
zations. Some  one  has  said  that  one  more  society  was 
needed — one  to  kill  useless  societies  ! 


188  EAELY   HISTORY 


39. 

MINISTERIAL  RELIEF  SOCIETY. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Church  the  Gre- 
cians complained  against  the  Hebrews  because  their 
widows  were  neglected,  and  the  Apostles  appointed 
seven  deacons  to  care  for  this  matter.   Acts  6  :  1-4. 

The  early  Reform ed  ministers  of  Pennsylvania  also 
realized  the  necessity  of  providing  for  widows.  The 
first  person  to  receive  consideration  of  this  kind  was  the 
widow  of  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm,  who  may  be  regarded 
as  the  founder  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  our  state. 
He  had  spent  his  life  in  the  service  of  the  people,  with 
but  little  salary,  and  supported  his  family  on  a  farm  in 
Montgomery  county.  In  1752  the  Coetus  paid  the 
widow  four  pounds  in  Pennsylvania  money.  She  also 
received  fourteen  guilders  from  Holland,  to  which  the 
Coetus  added  38  shillings,  besides  the  four  pounds. 

The  wife  of  Rev.  Dorsius  was  given  47  guilders  of 
money  from  Holland.  She  appears  to  have  been  de- 
serted by  her  husband,  as  appears  later.  In  1753  the 
Coetus  states  that  ^^  the  deserted  wife  of  Rev.  Dorsius" 
was  given  8  pounds  in  addition  to  the  6  pounds  sent  her 
from  Holland.  In  1754  the  ^^  deserted  wife  of  Rev. 
Dorsius''  was  given  6  pounds.  At  the  same  meeting 
the  widow  of  the  recently  deceased  Rev.  Mr.  Wissler 
was  given  ten   pounds.      Subsequently   the  widows  of 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  189 

Revs.  Muenz,  Wissler,  Dorsius  and  Weiss  were  assisted 
from  the  monies  received  from  Holland. 

In  1755  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter,  in  sending  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Coetus  to  Holland,  stated  that  he  pro- 
posed to  establish  a  Widow^s  Fund. 

The  first  formal  action  of  the  Coetus  to  establish  a 
Widows'  Fund  was  taken  at  the  meeting  of  1773,  and 
is  as  follows  : 

"  Most  of  us  are  in  our  best  years,  all  are  married 
except  Rev.  Otterbein,  and  the  majority  are  blessed 
with  children.  Owing  to  our  very  arduous  work  our 
strength  is  easily  exhausted,  and  none  of  us  can  save 
enough  out  of  his  salary  to  enable  his  widow  and  or- 
phans to  live  comfortably  after  his  death.  Moreover, 
there  are  no  institutions  in  this  country  which  care  for 
widows  and  orphans.  Now,  in  order  not  to  leave  our 
dear  ones  entirely  helpless  after  our  departure,  all  the 
members  of  Coetus  have  resolved  to  establish  a  widows' 
and  orphans'  fund,  into  which  every  member  of  Coetus, 
as  long  as  he  lives,  is  to  pay  annually  a  fixed  sum, 
which,  after  his  death,  is  to  be  paid  out,  with  interest, 
to  his  widow  and  orphans.  But  since  we  are  too  weak 
in  numbers  and  means  to  make  a  good  start  in  this  en- 
terprise, we  ask  the  Reverend  Fathers  for  permission 
to  use  for  this  purpose  that  money  which  remains  of  the 
charitable  donations,  after  duly  providing  for  the  pres- 
ent widows  of  ministers  and  schoolmasters,  and  which 
thus  far  was  used  to  defray  the  traveling  expenses  of 
the  ministers  attending  Coetus." 

In  1787  the  Coetus  adopted  rules  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Widow's  Fund.  Every  member  was  to 
pay  two  pounds  (about  $5.00)  annually  at  the  meeting 
of  the  Coetus.  Any  one  neglecting  to  pay  was  fined  at 
the  rate  of  ose  penny  per  day.    Any  member  marrying 


190  EARLY    HISTORY 

more  than  once  had  to  pay  a  double  fee  for  that  year, 
four  pounds,  or  about  $10.00.  In  case  a  minister  was 
excluded  from  Coetus  he  could  still  continue  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Widow's  Fund,  and  after  his  death  his  wid- 
ow and  children  received  benefits,  the  same  as  if  no  ex- 
clusion had  taken  place.  Any  member  neglecting  to 
pay  three  times  forfeited  his  rights  and  excluded  his 
family  from  benefits.  The  interest  of  the  money  in- 
vested was  annually  divided  amoug  ministers'  widows 
as  long  as  they  remained  such  widows.  In  case  a  min- 
ister left  no  widow,  but  children,  such  children  were 
beneficial  until  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  In  case  Coetus 
wished  to  aid  others  than  w-idows,  money  could  be  bor- 
rowed from  the  Fund,  but  had  to  be  replaced,  and  the 
officers  of  Coetus  had  to  give  the  treasurer  a  bond  for 
the  return  of  the  money.  At  that  date  (1787)  there 
were  fourteen  members  of  the  Widows'  Fund,  and  the 
capital  of  the  Fund  amounted  to  337  pounds,  16  shil- 
lings and  2  pence.  There  were  then  three  beneficiaries, 
the  widows  Wittner,  Bucher  and  Steiner. 

This  laudable  w^ork  has  been  continued  to  this  day. 
Additions  were  made  to  the  Fund  from  the  allowance 
from  Holland  as  money  could  be  spared,  and  the  wid- 
ows of  ministers  assisted  by  small  gratuities.  In  1810 
the  society  was  chartered,  but  during  many  years  it 
continued  a  small  affair.  In  1833  the  society  was  re- 
organized and  the  money  on  hand  transferred.  In 
recent  years  the  society  has  flourished,  and  the  Fund 
has  been  largely  increased  by  collections  in  churches 
and  membership  fees.  At  the  close  of  its  fiscal  year, 
Sept.  30,  1905,  the  society  had  an  invested  endowment 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  191 

of  §70,300.  The  receipts  cluriDg  the  year  amounted  to 
about  §14,000,  and  there  was  paid  out  to  63  benefi- 
ciaries the  sum  of  §3797. 

This  old  society  is  not  under  sy nodical  control. 
The  General  Synod  of  1905  took  steps  to  organize  a 
society  which  will  be  under  the  control  of  that  body, 
and  into  which  it  is  hoped  the  old  society  will  be 
merged.  The  purpose  is  to  have  one  society  for  the 
whole  Church. 

The  new  General  Synod  society  was  organized  in 
the  city  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  on  August  1,  1905,  by  the 
Board  elected  by  said  synod.  A  charter  and  by-laws 
were  adopted.  The  name  of  the  society  is  "  Board  of 
Ministerial  Relief  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  Unit- 
ed States.'^  These  officers  were  elected  :  President,  Dr. 
Philip  Vollmer  ;  vice  president,  Dr.  J.  H.  Steele ;  sec- 
retary and  treasurer.  Dr.  J.  M.  Schick ;  executive 
committee.  Dr.  Philip  Vollmer,  Dr.  J.  M.  Schick,  Rev. 
T.  M.  Yundt,  Dr.  J.  W.  Meminger,  and  elder  George 
A.  Leinbach.     The  latter  died  soon  after. 


192  EARLY    HISTORY 


40. 
EARLY  EDUCATIONAL  MOVEMENTS. 

In  1767  Rev.  J.  Leyd  appeared  before  Coetus  as  a 
delegate  of  the  Dutch  Coetus  of  New  Jersey  and  New 
York,  with  a  communication  from  the  above  body  re- 
questing a  closer  fellowship  between  the  two  Coetuses. 
Rev.  L.  stated  that  the  Dutch  brethren  had  secured  the 
privilege  of  founding  a  college  in  New  Jersey  for  the 
purpose  of  preparing  young  men  for  the  ministry  and 
requested  support.  The  German  Coetus  received  the 
proposition  with  pleasure,  and  expressed  the  need  of 
facilities  to  prepare  young  men  here  instead  of  bringing 
all  such  from  Germany,  especially  since  some  of  those 
secured  in  the  latter  way  failed  to  meet  the  require- 
ments. The  Coetus  asked  the  Church  in  Holland  for 
permission  to  aid  in  the  founding  of  a  college  such  as 
was  proposed.  The  experience  of  several  centuries  in 
Europe  had  taught  the  usefulness  of  such  an  institution. 

The  Dutch  brethren  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey 
founded  Queen's  College  at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  In 
1772  the  attention  of  Coetus  was  called  to  it  and  the 
request  made  that  the  ministers  should  recommend  the 
college  from  their  pulpits.     This  was  agreed  to. 

The  first  expressed  desire  on  the  part  of  Coetus  to 
have  a  way  to  prepare  young  men  for  the  ministry  we 
find  in  the  report  to  Holland  in  1765.      The  brethren 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  193 

say  :  "  It  would  be  against  nature  and  reason  that  the 
daughter  should  always  have  to  remain  a  minor  and 
inferior,  that  she  should  never  dare  to^  grow  into  moth- 
erhood and  womanhood.  If  our  Zion  is  to  flourish,  the 
daughter  must  become  a  woman  and  a  mother.  The 
Presbyterians  have  given  us  an  example  in  this,  and 
have  prepared  men,  whereby  their  churches  flourish. 
And  so  in  time  it  will  have  to  be  with  our  Church.  The 
Synods  and  Classes  of  Holland  are  our  best  example  in 
their  beginning  and  progress,  and  our  regular  ordina- 
tion, after  the  articles  of  our  faith,  gives  us  the  right 
and  the  power  to  increase  that  we  may  arrive  at  riper 
years.'^ 

In  1766  the  Coetus  declares  that  it  has  no  intention 
to  separate  from  the  Church  in  Holland,  but  it  asks  for 
permission  to  examine  and  ordain  candidates  when  nec- 
essary. It  cites  as  a  precedent  that  in  1752  Rev.  Mr. 
Schlatter  ordained  Du  Bois  and  Tempelman.  But  the 
Fathers  in  Holland  were  slow  to  grant  this  request. 
However  the  desire  grew  on  the  part  of  the  brethren  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  request  was  renewed  from  time 
to  time.  In  1770  the  Holland  Fathers  agreed  that 
Coetus  might  ordain  young  men  after  consent  had  been 
obtained  from  Holland. 

In  1784  Coetus  again  refers  to  the  desirability  of 
preparing  young  men  here  for  the  ministry,  instead  of 
depending  upon  a  foreign  country  for  a  full  supply. 
However  a  school  could  not  be  established  without  aid 
from  abroad. 

In  1785  the  Coetus  again  expresses  itself  upon  this 
subject.     It  repeats  that  a  school  was  needed   in   the 


194  EARLY    HISTORY 

central  part  of  the  state  to  prepare  youDg  men  for  the 
ministry.  The  reason  for  this  view  was  that  it  was 
expensive  to  bring  ministers  from  Europe,  besides  some 
of  those  brought  proved  failures,  either  by  bringing 
stains  with  themselves  or  by  not  being  able  to  accom- 
modate themselves  to  the  new  country  ;  secondly,  many 
young  men  would  devote  themselves  to  the  ministry  if 
they  had  an  opportunity,  and  the  people  had  more  con- 
fidence in  natives  than  foreigners,  because  of  their  un- 
fortunate experience.  Thirdly,  the  Presbyterians  had 
established  a  second  school  at  Carlisle,  for  which  they 
had  asked  support  and  some  Reformed  teachers.  The 
request  was  declined  out  of  love  for  the  German  lan- 
guage. The  assurance  is  again  expressed  that  there  is 
no  desire  to  separate  from  Holland.  But  no  matter 
how  small  a  beginning  might  be  made,  the  Reformed 
people  could  not  establish  a  school  or  college  without 
aid,  but  they  believed  that  the  money  thus  invested 
would  bear  good  fruit. 

In  1786,  after  reciting  their  unfortunate  experience 
with  several  ministers  sent  from  Europe,  the  members 
of  the  Coetus  again  expressed  their  desire  for  a  school 
in  which  to  educate  young  men  as  the  surest  way  of 
securing  suitable  ministers. 

The  desire  for  a  school  in  which  young  men  might 
be  educated  for  the  Reformed  ministry  was  finally  real- 
ized in  the  founding  of  Franklin  College  at  Lancaster 
in  1787.  This  college  was  established  principally  for 
the  education  of  the  sons  of  the  Pennsylvania  Ger- 
mans, Reformed  and  Lutheran,  and  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin took  a  leading  part  in  it.     The  college   was  named 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  195 

after  him.  He  had  donated  200  pounds.  The  state 
donated  10,000  acres  of  land  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  the  state  to  the  new  college.  The  building  was 
dedicated  on  June  6,  1787.  This  was  a  great  occasion. 
Benjamin  Franklin  attended  the  dedication,  although 
he  was  then  old  and  feeble.  A  copy  of  the  published 
program  is  still  at  hand.  A  procession  was  formed  at 
the  court  house  and  marched  to  the  German  Lutheran 
church,  where  services  were  held.  The  Reformed  Coe- 
tus  formed  a  part  of  the  procession,  as  well  as  the  Re- 
formed congregation.  The  services  were  conducted  in 
both  languages.  Among  the  first  trustees  were  Revs. 
Weyberg,  Hendel,  Albert  Helffenstein,  John  W.  In- 
gold,  Abraham  Blumer,  Fred.  Dallicker,  Jos.  Hiester, 
Philip  Greenawald  and  others  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
Of  the  40  trustees  15  were  Reformed,  15  Lutherans 
and  the  remainder .  represented  other  denominations. 
The  first  president  was  Dr.  H.  E.  Muhlenberg,  Luth- 
eran, and  the  first  vice  president  was  Dr.  Wm.  Hendel, 
Reformed. 

Annual  public  examinations  were  held,  when  stu- 
dents delivered  orations.  The  first  one  was  held  on 
Oct.  17,  1788,  conducted  by  Rev.  Dr.  ^yilliam  Hen- 
del, of  the  Reformed  Church.  People  were  curious  to 
see  how  the  German  boys  would  get  along  in  the  Eng- 
lish pronunciation,  and  it  is  stated  that  "  there  was  no 
difference  between  them  and  the  English  born,  except 
that  the  Germans  read  more  slowly  and  distinctly.'^ 
At  the  second  examination  on  July  3,  1789,  a  German 
oration  was  delivered  by  John  T.  Faber,  jr.,  afterwards 
a  prominent  Reformed  minister.     Among   other   stu- 


196 


EARLY    HISTORY 


dents  who  entered  the  Reformed  ministry  were  J.  C. 
Becker  and  Philip  Gloninger. 

The  Coetus  of  1787  was  held  in  Lancaster  on  June 
5,  so  that  it  might  attend  the  dedication  of  Franklin 
College.  But  it  is  difficult  to  understand  the  report  of 
the  Coetus  on  this  subject.  The  new  college  is  called 
a  "  German  High  School  in  Lancaster.'^ 

The  original  building  in   which  Franklin    College 


FRANKLIN   COLLEGE,  LANCASTER,   1787. 

was  started  is  still  standing.  It  is  a  two-story  brick 
building,  and  is  located  on  North  Queen  street,  near 
James.  It  was  erected  by  the  government  during  the 
Revolution  and  used  as  an  arsenal.  After  the  removal 
of  Franklin  College  the  building  was  sold  and  changed 
into  a  number  of  dwelling  houses.  Above  we  present 
a  picture  of  the  original  building. 

In  1790  the  Coetal  report  states   that  "the    High 
School  at  Lancaster  failed  a  year  ago,   because  on   ac- 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  197 

count  of  the  hard  times  the  professors  did  not  receive 
their  salaries/'  This  was  not  fully  correct.  The  school 
was  kept  open,  but  in  1788  there  was  only  one  teacher 
left.  The  trouble  was  lack  of  money.  The  Reformed 
and  Lutheran  people  did  not  generally  favor  higher 
education,  and  the  college  was  not  properly  patronized. 
In  March,  1788,  the  professors  voluntarily  agreed  to 
be  satisfied  with  £100  as  salary  instead  of  £200. 

Thus  at  first  the  college  was  rather  a  disappoint- 
ment, but  later  it  prospered,  and  continued  its  work 
until  1853.  Gradually  it  had  come  under  the  control 
of  the  Reformed  and  Lutherans.  In  1850  the  Re- 
formed purchased  the  Lutheran  interest  for  $17,169.61, 
and  Franklin  College  was  united  with  Marshall  Col- 
lege at  Mercersburg.  The  latter  college,  founded  in 
1836,  was  removed  to  Lancaster  in  1853,  and  since 
then  the  united  institution  is  known  as  Franklin  and 
Marshall  College. 

But  Franklin  College  did  not  furnish  as  many 
young  men  for  the  Reformed  ministry  as  had  been  ex- 
pected. Before  its  founding  and  long  afterward  certain 
pastors  instructed  young  men  in  theology  and  other 
branches  in  their  homes,  and  furnished  many  ministers 
in  this  way.  Revs.  Weyberg,  Hendel,  Gross  and  Helf- 
fenstein  prepared  a  number  of  young  men  in  this  way 
during  the  time  of  the  Coetus.  This  work  was  con- 
tinued under  the  Synod  which  was  organized  in  1793. 
Rev.  Samuel  Helffenstein  is  said  to  have  prepared  27 
young  men.  Dr.  Lebrecht  Frederick  Herman,  who 
was  the  last  minister  sent  here  from  Europe,  prepared 
13  young  men,  five  of  whom  were  his  own  sons — Chas. 


198  EARLY    HISTORY 

G.,  Augustus  L.,  Frederick  A.,  Reuben  and  Lewis  C. 
(Another  son,  Alfred  J.,  had  also  studied  for  the  min- 
istry, but  instead  devoted  himself  to  the  medical  profes- 
sion, and  became  a  prominent  physician  at  Carlisle.) 
The  other  young  men  prepared  by  Dr.  Herman  were 
these  well-known  ministers  :  Revs.  John  C.  Guldin  (a 
great-grandson  of  Rev.  Samuel  Guldin,  the  first  or- 
dained Reformed  minister  in  Pennsylvania,  who  came 
here  in  1710),  B.  S.  Schneck,  Thomas  H.  Leinbach, 
Joseph  S.  Dubbs,  Peter  S.  Fisher,  Abraham  Berge, 
Richard  A.  Fisher  and  David  Young. 

In  this  way  ministers  were  supplied  for  the  Church 
until  the  founding  of  the  theological  seminary  at  Car- 
lisle, Pa.,  which  was  opened  on  March  11,  1825.  In 
1829  the  seminary  was  removed  to  York,  in  1837  to 
Mercersburg  and  in  1871  to  Lancaster,  where  it  is  now 
located.  Besides  this  there  are  now  three  other  semi- 
naries in  the  Church — Ursinus  School  of  Theology  in 
Philadelphia,  Heidelberg  Seminary  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  and 
the  Mission  House  near  Franklin,  Wis. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  199 


41. 
EARLY  CUSTOMS. 

We  read  that  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  met  Conrad 
TempelmaDj  a  lay  preacher,  for  the  first  time  on  a  com- 
munion occasion  in  Muddy  Creek  church  in  1747. 
After  the  communion  Mr.  Schlatter  asked  Mr.  Tem- 
pelman  to  preach  a  thanksgiving  sermon,  which  was  so 
satisfactory  to  Mr.  Schlatter  that  he  recommended  that 
Tempelman  should  be  ordained.  A  thanksgiving  ser- 
mon after  the  communion  ?  What  does  that  mean  ? 
It  simply  means  what  it  implies.  In  the  early  history 
of  our  Church  in  this  state  the  communion  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  thanksgiving  sermon,  and  it  was  logical. 
It  strikes  us  strangely,  because  the  custom  is  not  ob- 
served now.  The  communion  is  a  great  blesing,  which 
calls  for  gratitude.  We  now  express  gratitude  in  the 
prayers  before  and  after  the  communion,  but  our  fathers 
had  also  a  sermon  on  the  subject.  This  custom  ex- 
plains the  statement  about  Mr.  Tempelman's  thanks- 
giving sermon  at  the  communion.  People  in  our  day 
would  not  be  willing  to  listen  to  a  sermon  after  the 
communion.  In  the  average  congregation  it  would 
prolong  the  service  too  much. 

Another  early  custom  connected  with  the  prepara- 
tion for  the  communion  was  the  one  observed  in  the 
Reformed   church   in  Lancaster,    introduced  by  Rev. 


200  EARLY   HISTORY 

Wm.  Otterbein  and  continued  daring  several  pastor- 
ates. Mr.  Otterbein  was  an  earnest  and  godly  man, 
and  entered  upon  his  pastorate  at  Lancaster  in  1752. 
He  had  agreed  to  serve  the  congregation  five  years. 
He  was  much  grieved  by  the  lack  of  church  discipline. 
At  the  end  of  his  term  he  desired  to  withdraw,  but  the 
people  wished  him  to  remain,  and  Coetus  also  urged 
him  to  continue  in  this  work.  He  finally  consented 
upon  the  condition  that  proper  discipline  be  exercised 
and  that  he  be  unhampered  in  the  performance  of  his 
duties.  He  resumed  his  work  in  1757.  In  that  year 
the  custom  above  referred  to  was  introduced.  A  paper 
was  drawn  up  in  the  handwriting  of  Rev.  Mr.  Otter- 
bein, in  which  certain  evils  are  recited  and  the  need  of 
discipline  stated.  The  measure  was  approved  by  the 
congregation  and  signed  by  eighty  male  members. 
Accordingly  communicants  were  required  to  present 
themselves  to  the  pastor  upon  a  day  appointed  for  that 
purpose,  in  order  that  the  pastor  might  have  interviews 
with  them  in  reference  to  their  spiritual  life,  and  to 
impart  to  them  counsel  and  comfort.  The  day  ap- 
pointed for  the  purpose  was  before  the  preparatory 
service.  Mr.  Otterbein  served  as  pastor  from  1752  to 
1758,  and  the  congregation  made  more  real  progress 
than  ever  before.  The  above  custom  was  continued 
during  succeeding  pastorates  until  the  close  of  the  pas- 
torate of  Rev.  J.  H.  Hoffmeier,  and  existed  during 
seventy-five  years.  Perhaps  it  would  be  well  if  the 
custom  were  still  practised.  It  would  no  doubt  tend 
to  growth  in  the  divine  life. 

At  each  meeting  of  the  Classis  every  minister  is 
expected  to  read  a  report  of  his  pastoral  labors  during 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  201 

the  preceding  year.  In  the  case  of  a  large  Classis  this 
consumes  much  time.  Even  ministers  without  charges 
come  under  this  rule.  This  custom  dates  back  to  the 
beginning  of  our  Church  in  this  country.  At  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Coetus  in  1748  it  was  ordered  that  every 
minister  should  annually  "  hand  in  to  the  Coetus  a  re- 
port concerning  the  members  of  the  congregations  en- 
trusted to  him,  how  many  have  died,  how  many  have 
been  married,  how  many  children  of  both  sexes  have 
been  baptized  and  how  many  new  persons  have  been 
admitted  to  the  holy  communion  during  the  year,  in 
addition  to  the  former  number,  which  shall  be  given. ^^ 

Since  then  the  scope  of  these  parochial  reports  has 
been  greatly  enlarged.  Now  the  pastor  is  required  to 
report  also  the  number  of  unconfirmed  members,  con- 
firmations, number  of  Sunday  schools,  scholars,  teach- 
ers and  officers,  contributions  for  benevolence  and  con- 
gregational purposes,  etc. 

Some  of  the  early  Reformed  ministers  wore  gowns 
when  officiating  in  church.  Such  was  the  case  with 
Rev.  Dr.  Weyberg  in  Philadelphia.  This  was  also  the 
custom  in  early  times  at  Lancaster.  On  April  17, 
1750,  a  certain  tailor  there  was  paid  six  shillings  for 
making  a  gown  for  their  pastor,  Rev.  Ludwig  F.Vock. 
The  custom  gradually  fell  into  disuse,  and  we  know 
only  of  a  few  Reformed  ministers  now  wearing  gowns. 
The  custom  is  still  continued  in  many  parts  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  in  Pennsylvania. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  early  congregations 
did  not  at  once  commence  regular  church  records.  For 
^  long  time  records  were  kept  only  of  baptisms  and 
14 


202  EARLY   HISTORY 

marriages.  At  the  Coetiis  of  1752  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter 
gave  each  minister  two  such  records  boimd  in  parch- 
ment, which  he  had  brought  from  Holland.  The  one 
given  to  Rev.  John  Waldschmid  is  now  in  possession 
of  Mr.  David  W.  Gress,  Denver,  Pa.,  a  lineal  descend- 
ant of  \yaldschmid. 

Years  ago  more  attention  was  given  to  the  religious 
instruction  of  the  youth  than  is  done  now.  The  young 
people  were  thoroughly  indoctrinated.  This  was  done 
in  the  parochial  school  and  subsequently  in  the  cate- 
chetical class.  As  a  rule  the  candidates  for  confirma- 
tion committed  to  memory  'all  the  questions  and  an- 
swers of  the  catechism.  Then  before  confirmation  they 
were  publicly  examined  before  the  whole  congregation. 
It  was  an  excellent  plan.  What  people  acquire  in  their 
youth  usually  adheres  to  them  through  their  lives. 
The  cramming  system  of  the  public  schools  has  made 
the  former  thoroughness  in  catechisation  impossible. 

In  the  German  Fatherland  it  was  customary  for  the 
pastor  to  instruct  the  young  people  every  Sunday  after- 
noon in  the  catechism.  This  plan  w^as  better  than 
many  modern  Sunday  schools.  It  was  also  introluced 
in  our  country.  In  1768  Elder  Wm.  Bausman  com- 
plained to  the  Coetus  that  the  pastor  at  Lancaster, 
Rev.  William  Hendel,  failed  to  catechize  the  children 
regularly  on  Sunday  afternoou.  The  pastor  replied 
that  this  was  impossible,  because  he  was  supplying  the 
Reformed  people  at  Pequea  on  certain  Sunday  after- 
noons. The  plan  w^as  in  vogue  elsewhere,  but  gradu- 
ally fell  into  disuse  because  the  ministers  had  to  serve 
many  congregations. 


OF   THE   REFORMED    CHURCH.  203 

The  Moravian  pastor  at  Hebron,  now  a  part  of 
Lebanon,  states  that  on  June  11,  1791,  he  attended  a 
confirmation  service  by  invitation  in  the  First  Re- 
formed church  at  Lebanon.  Rev.  Ludwig  Lupp,  the 
pastor,  confirmed  fifty  children.  First  there  was  a 
preparatory  sermon,  after  which  the  children  were 
twice  catechised.  Then  the  Lord's  Sapper  was  cele- 
brated. The  whole  service  occupied  six  hours,  and 
there  was  much  weeping  in  the  church,  because  the 
hearts  of  the  young  people  were  greatly  affected.  On 
June  10,  1797,  Pastor  Lupp  confirmed  seventy  young 
persons  in  the  same  church.  This  was  a  large  number, 
considering  that  Lebanon  at  that  time  was  only  a 
small  town.  The  congregation  included  many  country 
people. 

Until  1776  ourieouutry  was  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  King  of  England.  Those  coming  to  this  coun- 
try had  to  swear  allegiance  to  the  crown  of  England. 
The  first  constitution  of  the  Reformed  Church,  formu- 
lated by  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  in  1725,  made  it  the 
duty  of  Reformed  ministers  "  to  pray  in  the  public 
congregation  for  our  beloved  King,  the  King  of  Great 
Britain,  and  for  the  government  of  this  country."  The 
loyalty  of  the  German  people  was  frequently  ques- 
tioned by  the  English,  but  there  could  be  no  doubt 
about  the  loyalty  of  the  German  Reformed. 

The  most  proper  place  for  the  baptism  of  children 
is  undoubtedly  the  church.  This  was  the  view  of  our 
fathers.  But  the  practise  has  largely  fallen  into  decay. 
In  the  year  1786  the  consistory  of  the  Lancaster  con- 
gregation adopted  this  action  : 


204  EARLY   HISTORY 

"  Since  through  the  disorder  of  the  war  the  Christ- 
ian order  of  the  Church  has  fallen  into  neglect  to  such 
an  extent  that,  for  some  time  past,  no  children  have 
been  baptized  in  the  church,  therefore  '  Resolved,  that 
from  this  time  forward,  in  accordance  with  the  rules 
of  the  Church,  all  children  must  be  baptized  in  the 
church.  If,  however,  a  child  is  sick,  or  the  weather  is 
bad,  it  may  be  baptized  in  the  house.^  ^^ 

It  has  always  been  a  custom  to  elect  elderly  mem- 
bers to  the  eldership,  whilst  younger  ones  were  called 
to  serve  as  deacons.  In  many  instances  elders  con- 
tinued in  office  during  many  years.  With  reference  to 
the  age  of  elders  the  consistory  of  the  Reformed  con- 
gregation at  Lancaster  in  1799  adopted  this  resolution  : 

"  Resolved,  that  no  one  shall  be  elected  elder  who, 
besides  leading  a  good  life,  is  not  of  such  an  age  as 
shall  constitute  him  really  venera^ble  enough  to  be 
called  elder.  This  shall  be  a  settled  ordinance  for- 
ever.^^ 

One  of  the  interesting  facts  in  the  long  history  ot 
the  First  church  at  Lancaster  is  this  one.  The  Baus- 
man  family  has  been  active  in  it  from  an  early  period. 
In  1752,  when  the  Second  church  was  erected,  to  take 
the  place  of  the  little  log  church  of  1736,  William 
Bausman  was  one  of  the  prominent  members.  In  1768 
he  represented  his  congregation  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Coetus,  and  complained  to  that  body  about  certain  ac- 
tions of  the  pastor.  Dr.  William  Hendel.  In  1771, 
when  the  congregation  was  incorporated  by  Thomas 
and  William  Penn,  he  was  an  elder.  In  1854  Samuel 
Bausman  commenced  to  serve  as  elder.  During  1866, 
1867  and  1868  Philip,  Jacob  and  Samuel  Bausman, 
three   brothers,  served   as   elders.      They    were   elder 


OF  THE   KEFORMED   CHURCH.  205 

brothers  of  Rev.  B.  Bausman,  D.  D.,  of  Reading. 
Philip  Bausman  served  as  elder  from  1866  until  his 
death  in  January,  1897,  excepting  a  few  years  between 
1869  and  1880. 

It  has  been  the  custom  of  the  Reformed  Church 
from  early  times  not  to  ordain  a  candidate  until  he  had 
received  a  call.  This  custom  still  prevails,  except  in 
the  case  of  foreign  missionaries.  In  1779  a  Mr.  Twi- 
foot,  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England,  applied  to 
Coetus  for  ordination.  He  had  been  preaching  in  Eng- 
land. His  request  was  declined  because  of  the  above 
rule,  and  also  because  the  Episcopal  Church  does  not 
recognize  the  ordination  of  Reformed  ministers. 

During  the  early  history  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  Philadelphia  the  people  had  a  chain  stretched  across 
the  street  near  the  church,  so  that  the  worship  might 
not  be  disturbed  by  passing  vehicles.  Matters  are  dif- 
ferent now.  Many  congregations  are  disturbed  during 
worship  by  passing  street  cars  and  vehicles,  and  some 
by  the  shrill  whistles  of  steam  engines.  No  chains 
would  be  tolerated  now. 

Under  the  constitution  of  the  Reformed  Church  the 
elders  with  the  pastors  constitute  the  spiritual  council 
for  the  purpose  of  watching  over  the  spiritual  affairs  of 
the  congregation  and  for  the  exercise  of  discipline, 
when  necessary.  Unfortunately  this  provision  is  not 
generally  observed.  The  elders  seldom  act  as  such 
council.  All  the  work  is  transacted  by  the  consistory, 
composed  of  the  elders  and  deacons,  and  sometimes 
trustees  also.  In  1805  the  consistory  of  the  Reformed 
church  at  Lancaster  established  the  custom  of  meeting 


206  EARLY    HISTORY 

four  times  a  year  as  a  strictly  spiritual  body,  wheu  no 
other  business  was  to  be  transacted  but  such  as  per- 
tained to  ^'  the  establishing  and  maintaining  of  Christ- 
ian order,  the  promotion  of  love  to  all  that  is  good,  and 
to  the  advancement  of  God's  honor  and  glory /^  This 
custom  was  followed  a  long  time,  but  finally  abandoned. 
It  would  surely  be  a  good  thing  if  the  plan  w^ere  gen- 
erally followed.  The  misfortune  is  that  there  are  too 
few  "spiritual"  meetings.  The  consistory  meetings 
partake  too  much  of  the  secular.  Financial  matters 
choke  spiritual  affairs. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  207 


42. 
NAMES  OF  CONGREGATIONS. 

The  study  of  the  names  of  many  churches  consti- 
tutes an  interesting  subject.  Many  were  named  after 
localities  and  others  after  persons  who  donated  land. 
We  will  mention  a  few  such. 

Falkner  Swamp  congregation,  the  oldest  in  our 
denomination,  was  named  after  Daniel  Falkner,  one  of 
the  agents  of  the  Frankfort  Land  Company.  The 
region  included  considerable  swampy  land,  and  it  Avas 
therefore  called  Falkner's  Swamp. 

St.  Luke's  church  is  located  at  the  "  Trappe''  in 
Montgomery  county.  The  meaning  of  the  word  Trappe 
has  never  been  explained  satisfactorily.  One  explana- 
tion offered  is  that  in  front  of  the  original  hotel  at  the 
place  were  many  steps,  the  German  of  which  is  "  Trep- 
pen."  It  is  claimed  that  at  first  the  place  was  known 
as  the  "  Treppen,''  and  that  the  name  was  afterward 
changed  to  Trappe. 

The  first  Reformed  congregation  organized  in  Berks 
county  is  the  present  Host  church,  five  miles  north  of 
Womelsdorf  It  was  organized  in  1727,  or  possibly 
earlier,  by  Palatines  who  came  there  in  1723  as  the 
first  settlers  of  the  region.  On  October  18,  1727,  Rev. 
J.  P.  Boehm  administered  the  communion  there.  The 
Reformed  for  some  time  worshiped  with  the  Lutherans 


208  EARLY    HISTORY 

in  the  Rieth  log  church,  which  was  erected  in  1727 
upon  land  donated  by  three  brothers  named  Rieth. 
This  was  the  first  Reformed  and  Lutheran  church  in 
this  country.  Afterward  the  Reformed  withdrew  and 
erected  the  "  Host'^  church  at  the  place  named.  It  is 
claimed  that  Host  was  the  name  of  a  family  residing 
there. 

Hain's  church,  near  Wernersville,  Berks  county, 
was  also  organized  by  Palatines  who  came  to  the  Tul- 
pehocken  region  in  1723,  viz.,  about  the  same  time  as 
the  Host  congregation,  1727.  The  proper  name  is  St. 
John's,  but  it  is  known  as  Hain's,  because  George 
Hain  donated  the  land,  for  which  no  deed  was  ever 
given.     It  was  originally  known  as  Cacusi  church. 

The  first  church  organized  in  Albany  township, 
Berks  county,  was  called  '^AllemangeP'  church.  The 
term  signifies  ^^Allwants,''  because  of  the  poor  quality 
of  the  soil  originally.  When  Rev.  M.  Schlatter  in 
1747  organized  the  Reformed  congregations  into 
charges,  he  grouped  ^'  Magunchy,  Allemangel  and 
Schmalzgass"  in  a  charge.  The  Allemangel  church  is 
now  known  as  the  Red  church. 

The  ^'  Schmalzgass''  church  is  the  Jerusalem  church 
near  Allentown.  The  region  was  known  by  the  above 
name  in  early  times ;  just  why,  we  are  unable  to  state. 
The  first  church  was  erected  in  1741. 

The  church  at  New  Tripoli,  formerly  often  called 
^^Old  Lynntown  church,"  was  during  a  long  time 
known  as  the  ^'  organ  church."  It  is  so  called  in  the 
minutes  of  Coetus.  It  was  the  first  and  for  a  long 
time  the  only  church  in  that  region    which    contained 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  209 

an  organ.  The  first  church  was  erected  in  1761,  and 
at  a  later  period  a  small  organ  was  introduced.  But 
the  exact  time  is  unknown,  nor  is  it  known  where  the 
organ  came  from.  In  1798  the  church  was  demol- 
ished by  a  storm,  and  the  organ  was  destroyed.  In 
1850  a  new  organ  was  procured,  after  an  apparent  in- 
terval of  many  years. 

In  Lowhill  township,  Lehigh  county,  stands  the 
^^  Morning  Land  church."  It  is  located  near  a  cross 
road  which  bears  the  singular  name  of  ^'  Leather 
Corner  Post."  How  these  names  originated  we  cannot 
state. 

The  congregation  at  Jonestown,  Lebanon  county, 
was  originally  called  "  the  church  on  the  Swatara," 
because  it  was  near  that  stream.  The  first  church 
stood  two  miles  east  of  the  present  village  of  Jones- 
town, which  had  no  existence  when  the  church  was 
erected.     Rev.  Conrad  Tempelman  was  the  first  pastor. 

In  the  western  part  of  Lebanon  county  stands  the 
BindnagePs  (Binding-Nail)  church.  This  was  the 
name  of  a  family  residing  there.  The  church  stands 
right  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Swatara.  The  Reformed 
congregation  has  become  extinct. 

There  are  a  number  of  Hill  churches.  The  Hill 
church  four  miles  northwest  of  Lebanon  is  the  oldest 
place  of  public  worship  in  Lebanon  county.  (There  is 
a  tradition  that  there  was  a  union  church  about  two 
miles  south  of  Lebanon  which  was  known  as  the 
^^  Grubben  church,"  previous  to  the  Hill  church.)  The 
Hill  congregation  dates  back  to  1733.  Rev.  Conrad 
Tempelman  was  the  first  Reformed    pastor.     During 


210  EARLY    HISTORY 

the  Indian  war  some  people  stood  guard  outside  whilst 
others  worshiped  inside.  The  church  stands  upon  an 
elevation,  and  for  this  reason  it  was  called  Hill  church. 
Originally  it  was  called  Quittapahilla  (an  Indian 
name),  because  it  is  near  the  stream  of  that  name. 
Rev.  Casper  Stoever,  who  organized  the  Lutheran  con- 
gregation, erected  a  stone  building  at  the  stream,  which 
served  both  as  a  dwelling  for  him  and  a  grist  mill.  It 
is  still  standing. 

Another  Hill  church  is  located  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  Berks  county.  It  deserves  this  name  not  so 
much  on  account  of  standing  upon  a  hill,  as  among  a 
number  of  hills.  In  1747  a  frame  church  was  erected. 
The  roof  projected  a  good  deal  over  the  sides,  and  the 
farmers  hung  their  seed  corn  under  this  projection  to 
be  dried.  For  this  reason  the  church  was  long  known 
as  the  ^^  corn  church. '^  This  congregation  maintained 
a  parochial  school.     The  school  house  is  still  standing. 

One  of  the  oldest  congregations  in  Lehigh  county 
is  the  Egypt  church.  We  have  made  inquiry,  but 
have  been  unable  to  discover  a  reason  for  this  name. 

Several  miles  east  of  Hamburg,  Berks  county, 
stands  St.  PauFs  church,  which  is  known  as  "the 
smoke  church."  Why  this  designation  we  have  been 
unable  to  learn. 

In  the  northern  part  of  Lebanon  county,  between 
the  first  and  second  ranges  of  the  Blue  Mountains,  are 
two  small  churches  which  are  known  as  Moonshiners 
church  and  Sattazahn's  church.  Both  were  named 
after  families. 

There  are  several  Corner  churches.  One  is  located 
in  the  western  part  of  Albany  township,  Berks  county. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  211 

It  is  SO  called  because  of  its  location  in  a  valley  which 
comes  to  an  end  on  the  west.  The  region  is  known  as 
^'  the  corner.'^  The  proper  name  of  the  church  is  New 
Bethel. 

Another  corner  church  is  near  Robesonia,  Berks 
county.  This  one  is  so  called  because  it  is  located  at 
one  of  four  corners  of  a  cross-road.  The  proper  name 
of  the  Lutheran  congregation  is  St.  Daniel's,  the  only 
one  we  know  by  that  name.  A  few  years  ago  the  Re- 
formed people,  who  nevfer  had  an  interest  in  the  above 
property,  united  with  St.  PauFs  congregation  in  Robe- 
sonia,  and  the  united  congregation  erected  a  new 
church  in  the  village.  Formerly  the  Lutherans  had  a 
six-cornered  church  near  Pennsburg,  Pa.,  which  was 
not  many  years  ago  replaced  by  a  new  church.  The 
first  Reformed  church  in  Philadelphia  was  octagonal 
in  form,  that  is,  eight-cornered,  but  it  w^as  not  desig- 
^nated  in  that  way. 

In  Richmond  township,  Berks  county,  there  stand 
two  St.  Peter's  churches  in  close  proximity.  St.  Pe- 
ter's Reformed  congregation  erected  a  log  church  here 
at  an  unknown  date,  and  now  worships  in  a  fine  new 
building.  The  original  St.  Peter's  church  has  the  dis- 
tinction of  having  four  corner-stones.  Three  are  at  one 
end.  One  is  the  cornerstone  of  the  original  church, 
but  without  date ;  the  others  bear  the  dates  of  the  erec- 
tion of  the  subsequent  churches— 1762,  1809,  1890. 
The  present  church  is  the  fourth  one.  In  1866  some 
of  the  members  withdrew  and  with  the  Lutherans 
erected  a  separate  church  near  by  upon  land  donated 
for  the  purpose  by  Henry  Becker.  For  this  reason 
the  latter  building  is  called  Becker's  St.  Peter's  church. 


212  EARLY   HISTORY 

In  the  southern  part  of  Berks  county  stands  St. 
John's  church,  which  is  also  known  as  the  '^Forest 
church'^  because  of  its  location  in  the  region  generally 
known  as  the  Forest.  It  is  a  hilly  region,  and  years 
ago  it  was  a  vast  forest.  Now  there  are  many  good 
farms  there.  The  church  is  also  called  ^^  Plow 
church."  Why  this  appellation  we  know  not,  unless 
it  be  because  this  is  the  name  of  a  hotel  nearby.  The 
church  is  further  known  as  the  "  Robeson  church'*'  be- 
cause it  is  located  in  Robeson  township.  This  church 
is  distinguished  for  having  four  names. 

Several  churches  were  originally  called  "  Ziegel 
church/'  because  they  were  covered  with  tiles,  the  Ger- 
man term  for  tiles  being  Ziegel.  One  of  these  churches 
is  a  part  of  the  charge  which  has  been  served  during 
four  generations  by  the  HelflPrich  pastors. 

In  Franklin  county  we  have  the  Grindstone  Hill 
church.     The  first  log  church  here  was  erected  in  1766. 

There  are  several  "  Red"  churches.  One  of  these 
is  the  one  in  Albany,  Berks  county,  originally  called 
^'Allemangel"  church  because  of  its  location  in  a  very 
poor  region.  Later  it  was  called  "  Red"  church,  be- 
cause its  roof  was  painted  red  ;  also  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  White  church  near  by,  at  Wesnersville. 

Another  ^^  Red"  church  is  the  one  in  Pine  Valley, 
Schuylkill  county,  as  described  elsewhere  in  this  book. 
The  log  church  erected  in  1754  was  destroyed  by  the 
Indians  before  it  had  been  dedicated.  This  was  the 
first  church  ever  erected  north  of  the  Blue  Mountains. 

In  Northumberland  county  we  find  the  "Himmel's" 
church,  which  is  a  part  of  the  Mahanoy  charge.  Him- 
mel  is  the  German  for  heaven. 


OF   THE   REFORMED    CHURCH.  213 

In  the  eastern  part  of  Berks  county  we  have  the 
*'  Huif '^  church.  It  is  so  called  because  Mr.  Frederick 
Huff  donated  the  land.  He  died  in  1816,  aged  82 
years.  He  was  distinguished  by  the  large  number  of 
his  descendants.  Among  them  were  79  grandchildren 
and  37  great-grandchildren. 

Of  course  the  great  majority  of  churches  are  named 
after  saints.  The  most  popular  among  them  appear  to 
be  St.  John  and  St.  Paul.  Almost  every  town  or  city 
which  has  several  Reformed  congregations  includes  a 
St.  John's  or  St.  PauTs.  In  Philadelphia,  Reading 
and  Lancaster  we  find  churches  bearing  each  of  these 
'names.  There  are  more  St.  John's  churches  in  towns 
containing  more  than  one  congregation  than  of  any 
other  name — Philadelphia,  Reading,  Allentown,  Leba- 
non, Lancaster,  Harrisburg,  Schuylkill  Haven,  Tama- 
qua,  etc.  There  is  a  St.  Elias  church  at  Newmans- 
town,  Lebanon  county,  the  only  one  we  know  of  by 
this  name. 

Other  popular  names  are  Christ,  Zion's,  Trinity 
and  Salem.     Such  names  are  found  in  all  sections. 

The  Reformed  Church  in  Cleveland  followed  a 
unique  system  in  naming  congregations.  The  first 
nine  churches  are  named  by  numbers — First,  Second, 
Third,  etc.  All  of  the  nine  were  founded  as  German 
churches,  but  some  have  also  introduced  English 
preaching.  When  the  first  English  congregation  was 
established  the  system  of  numbers  was  dropped,  and 
this  church  was  named  Hough  Avenue. 

Many  churches  are  best  known  in  their  communi- 
ties by  the  names  of  their  pastors.     In  this  way  many 


214  EARLY   HISTORY 

of  the  churches  in  Reading  have  been  designated.  This 
way  is  improper  and  objectionable.  It  sounds  like 
nicknaming. 

A  number  of  churches  in  Pennsylvania  were  named 
after  localities  in  the  Fatherland,  such  as  Heidelberg, 
Schwarzwald,  Berne,  Salzburg,  etc. 

The  name  Heidelberg  has  been  especially  popular 
from  the  beginning.  Many  of  the  Reformed  immi- 
grants came  from  the  region  of  the  city  of  Heidelberg 
in  the  Palatinate,  and  they  used  the  name  in  the  new 
world.  The  Palatines  who  located  in  the  Tulpehocken 
region  applied  the  name  to  a  large  township  in  Berks 
county,  now  divided  into  three  townships — Heidelberg, 
Lower  Heidelberg  and  North  Heidelberg.  There  are 
also  Heidelberg  townships  in  Lehigh  and  Lebanon 
counties.  There  is  a  North  Heidelberg  Reformed  church 
in  Berks  county,  and  Heidelberg  churches  in  York, 
Philadelphia,  and  Lehigh  and  Franklin  counties.  The 
only  university  in  the  Reformed  Church  in  this  coun- 
try bears  the  name  of  Heidelberg,  at  Tiffin,  Ohio.  One 
of  the  Classes  in  the  Central  Synod  is  named  Heidel- 
berg. The  Heidelberg  Catechism  is  the  symbol  of 
faith  of  the  Church.  Heidelberg  League  is  the  name 
of  a  men's  association  organized  some  years  ago  by 
Dr.  F.  F.  Bahner. 

The  Jews  told  Jesus  that  a  certain  centurion  was 
worthy,  because  he  had  built  them  a  synagogue.  It 
does  not  often  happen  that  one  man  builds  a  church, 
but  this  happened  at  Sassamansville,  near  Boyertown, 
Pa.  Mr.  Henry  Sassaman  was  originally  a  member  of 
Christ  (Huber's)  church  at  Niautic.     In  1837,  when  a 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  215 

new  church  was  to  be  erected,  Mr.  Sassaman  wished  to 
have  the  location  changed  to  a  place  nearer  his  home. 
But  the  congregation  voted  to  erect  the  church  on  the 
old  ground,  when  Mr.  S.  became  excited,  and  using 
words  which  are  not  proper  to  be  uttered,  declared 
that  he  could  erect  a  church  alone,  and  left  the  meet- 
ing. He  then  erected  the  substantial  brick  church 
still  in  use  at  Sassamansville  at  his  own  expense  of 
$4500,  and  presented  the  church  to  the  Reformed, 
Lutherans  and  Mennonites. 

For  a  long  time  many  churches  were  known  by 
names  different  from  those  now  attached  to  them. 
Practically  all  of  these  early  names  are  now  under- 
stood. Thus  the  Whitemarsh  church  is  now  the  church 
at  Fort  Washington  ;  Skippack  is  the  Wentz  church  ; 
Whitpen  is  Boehm's  church  ;  Conestoga  is  Lancaster ; 
Hill  church  in  Lancaster  county  is  Heller's  or  Salem 
church  ;  Providence  is  St.  Luke's,  Trappe ;  Macungie 
is  Ziegel  church ;  Cacusi  is  the  Hain's  church  ;  Maxa- 
tawny  is  now  St.  John's  church,  Kutztown  ;  the  origi- 
nal Tulpehocken  church  is  Host  church,  Berks  coun- 
ty ;  the  second  Tulpehocken  church  is  Trinity  church, 
between  Stouchsburg  and  Myerstown  ;  Quittapahilla  is 
the  Hill  church,  Lebanon  county ;  Swatara  is  the 
Jonestown  church,  Lebanon  county ;  Cocalico  is  Beth- 
any church  at  Ephrata  ;  Coventry,  or  the  church  at  the 
Schuylkill,  is  Brownback's,  Chester  county. 

It  is  remarkable  how  many  of  the  early  churches 
were  known  by  streams  flowing  near  by  them.  Thus 
we  have  the  Tulpehocken  church,  which  was  located 
near    the   stream   bearing  that  name;  Cacusi   church, 


216  EARLY   HISTORY 

nowHain's;  Northkill  church,  dow  Bernville;  Svva- 
tara  church,  now  Jonestown  ;  Quittapahilla,  now  Hill 
church  ;  Cocalico  church,  now  Bethany  at  Ephrata  ; 
Sacony  church,  now  Kutztown  ;  the  church  at  the 
Forks  of  the  Delaware,  now  Easton  ;  the  church  at  the 
Schuylkill,  now  Brownback's  ;  Indian  Creek  church  in 
Montgomery  county,  etc. 

Many  names  were  originally  spelled  quite  diifer- 
ently  from  the  present.  We  will  give  a  few  examples. 
Skippack  was  called  Schip-Bach  ;  Whitemarsh — Weit- 
marge,  Whitemarje,  Weidmarge ;  Macungie — Makin- 
shi,  Makuntshy  ;  Tulpehocken  —  Dolpihacken,  Tul- 
benhacken,  Tulpitown  ;  Cacusi — Gagushi ;  Quittapa- 
hilla— Quitenbehelen  ;  Swatara — Schwadare,  Swettar- 
row  ;  Conestoga — Canastoka  ;  Dryland — Droggeland  ; 
Taney  town — Danethawn  ;  Plain  field — Blendfield  ;  Ger- 
mantown  —  Germandon  ;  Goshenhoppen  —  Cushehop- 
pen  ;  Misillem — Moselem  or  St.  Peter's  in  Berks  coun- 
ty, etc. 

It  is  remarkable  how  many  incorrect  names  are  ap- 
plied to  the  Reformed  Church  in  early  documents.  The 
deed  for  the  ground  of  the  Reformed  people  in  Lan- 
caster was  given  '^  to  the  members  of  the  congregation 
of  the  Reformed  Church  of  the  High  Dutch  Protestants 
of  Lancaster."  The  first  deed  to  the  Reformed  people 
of  Lebanon  was  made  to  '^  the  Dutch  Presbyterian  Con- 
gregation." A  second  deed  to  the  same  people  was 
made  to  '^  the  German  Presbyterian  Congregation " 
The  deed  to  the  Reformed  people  of  Reading  was  made 
to  '^  the  Religious  Society  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Cal- 
vinists."     This  list  might  be  greatly  enlarged. 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  217 


43. 

CHURCHES  OF  VARIOUS  PERIODS. 

It  may  be  said  that  churches  of  four  general  styles 
have  been  erected  since  the  beginning  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  this  country.  The  first  style  was  that  of  a 
small  log  building.  With  very  few  exceptions  all  of 
the  early  churches  were  of  this  kind.  On  page  45  we 
publish  a  picture  of  this  kind  of  churches.  Very  few 
of  these  first  churches  had  bells. 

The  second  style  was  naturally  an  improvement 
over  the  first.  On  next  page  we  print  a  picture  of  this 
class.  The  buildings  were  much  larger  and  more  sub- 
stantial. Some  were  erected  of  stone,  others  of  sand- 
stone, and  still  others  of  frame.  Whilst  the  first 
churches  had  in  many  instances  only  rude  benches,  the 
second  class  had  a  certain  kind  of  pews,  but  these 
aiforded  no  real  comfort.  Everything  was  still  of  a 
primitive  order.  But  it  was  the  best  the  people  could 
afford,  and  they  were  satisfied.  Nearly  all  of  these 
churches  were  surmounted  by  a  weather-vane  in  the 
form  of  a  rooster,  a  figure  borrowed  from  Holland. 

The  rooster  on  the  Reformed  church  in  Reading 
was  the  cause  of  an  amusing  incident.  On  one  occa- 
sion two  ladies  were  passing  along  Washington  street. 
One  of  them  was  superstitious.  When  opposite  the 
Reformed  church  she  was  somewhat  agitated  and  said 
15 


218 


EARLY    HISTORY 


to  her  companion  :  "  They  say  that  when  that  rooster 
on  the  church  once  crows,  the  world  will  come  to  an 
end.^'  But  the  rooster  never  crowed,  and  the  world 
still  stands.  It  is  likely  that  someone  had  practised  a 
joke  on  the  too  credulous  lady. 


SECOND  STYLE  CHURCH. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  rooster  weather-vanes  is 
the  one  which  surmounted  the  first  church  of  the  Re- 
formed people  of  Germantown,  erected  in  1733.  This 
interesting  relic  is  still  preserved  by  Mr.  Charles  J. 
Wister,  of  Germantown,  and  was  shown  the  writer  in 
1905.     It  contains, a  number  of  holes,  and  these  have 


OF   THE   REFORMED    CHURCH.  219 

an  interesting  history.  In  the  early  part  of  1764  a 
number  of  people  from  the  Paxtang  region,  Dauphin 
county,  went  to  Philadelphia  to  lay  their  grievances  on 
account  of  the  numerous  Indian  outrages  before  the 
state  officials.  After  reaching  Germantown  they  halted 
for  some  time  in  Market  square,  in  front  of  the  Re- 
formed church.  Most  of  the  men  were  armed,  and 
during  the  halt  some  of  them  amused  themselves  at 
firing  at  the  rooster  weather-vane  on  top  of  the  Re- 
formed church.  (The  people  in  Philadelphia  were^ 
greatly  alarmed  by  the  approach  of  these  people,  who 
were  called  the  Paxtang  Boys,  because  they  believed 
they  were  1500  men  strong  and  were  coming  to  attack 
the  city.  Great  preparations  were  made  to  defend  the 
city  against  this  imaginary  foe.) 

A  number  of  these  churches  had  bells,  and  a  few 
had  small  organs.  Some  of  these  churches  had  galler- 
ies on  three  sides,  and  in  some  instances  the  fronts  of 
these  galleries  were  finely  finished.  The  church  in 
Reading,  erected  in  1761,  had  much  fine  wood  carv- 
ing. The  gallery  fronts  of  the  historic  Hain  church  in 
Berks  county,  erected  in  1766,  was  in  panels  which 
contained  a  number  of  carved  scenes  from  the  Bible. 
The  first  one  represented  the  Garden  of  Eden,  with  fig- 
ures of  Adam,  Eve,  the  tree  and  the  serpent.  When 
the  church  was  rebuilt  in  1878,  these  interesting  em- 
bellishments were  destroyed.  How  much  they  would 
be  cherished  by  some  people  had  they  been  preserved. 

The  third  style  of  church  was  rather  a  greater  im- 
provement upon  the  second  than  the  second  was  upon 
the  first.     On  next  page  we  print  a  picture  of  the  in- 


220 


EAELY    HISTORY 


terior  of  this  class  of  churches.  A  number  of  this  class 
of  churches  are  still  standing,  but  they  are  fast  disappear- 
ing As  they  become  unfit  for  use,  they  are  replaced 
by  buildings  of  the  modern  style.  Very  nearly  all  of 
these  churches  had  so-called  wine-glass  pulpits ;  that 
is,  the  pulpit  had  the  general  form  of  a  goblet,  standing 


THIRD  STYLE  CHURCH,  INSIDE  VIEW. 

upon  a  pedestal.  The  pulpit  was  small,  having  room 
for  only  one  person.  A  winding  stairway  led  up  to 
the  pulpit  on  either  side.  The  pulpit  was  about  six 
feet  above  the  floor,  so  that  the  people  in  the  front 
part  of  the  church  had  to  look  up  about  twelve  feet  to 
see  the  face  of  the  preacher.  This  was  hard  on  their 
necks. 


OF   THE    REFOEMED    CHURCH.  221 

As  stated,  these  pulpits  stood  upon  pedestals  and 
were  nailed  to  the  wall.  In  a  certain  church  in  Le- 
high county  a  ludicrous  accident  is  said  to  have  hap- 
pened to  the  wine-glass  pulpit.  It  had  become  loos- 
ened from  its  mooring,  and  the  minister  had  called  the 
attention  of  the  officers  to  it,  but  upon  examination 
they  could  see  no  danger.  Some  time  after,  when  the 
minister  became  animated  in  preaching  and  leaned  over 
the  edge  of  tlie  pulpit,  it  fell  over,  and  the  preacher 
was  thrown  over  the  chancel  into  the  isle,  but  was  not 
hurt.  Amid  the  laughter  of  the  people  he  arose  and 
in  an  angered  voice  declared  :  "  Dort  leid  nau  euer 
alter  Rappelkaste.  Ich  hab's  euch  gesaht  kat."  (There 
now  is  your  rickety  old  thing.     I  had  told  you.) 

In  the  larger  churches  of  this  period  were  two  large 
wood  stoves,  with  long  pipes  leading  to  the  chimney 
near  the  ceiling.  In  the  centre,  where  the  pipes  met, 
these  passed  through  a  large  drum,  which  generated 
additional  heat.  Immediately  around  the  stoves  it 
was  very  hot,  whilst  in  the  extreme  parts  of  the  church 
it  was  cold.  The  chancel  was  a  small,  square  place, 
containing  a  staall  wooden  altar.  As  a  rule  there  were 
galleries  on  three  sides  of  the  church.  In  some  in- 
stances the  gallery  fronts  were  finely  finished.  On  the 
end  gallery  opposite  the  pulpit  was  the  organ.  The 
bellows  was  filled  with  air  by  means  of  hand-power. 
"  Pumping  the  organ^'  was  no  light  work.  In  the 
country  churches  this  work  is  still  performed  by  hand. 
In  the  cities  it  is  done  mostly  by  water  or  electric 
motors.  The  pews  in  these  churches  had  high  and 
straight  backs.     In  many  churches   there   were  small 


222  EARLY    HISTORY 

doors  at  the  entrance  of  the  pews.  What  for  ?  No  one 
may  give  a  valid  reason.  Sometimes  people  of  an  ex- 
clusive spirit  would  close  these  doors  and  try  to  shut 
out  others.  These  churches  were  one-story  buildings, 
and  there  were  large  windows  with  very  small  panes. 
Each  window  in  the  above  picture  contains  92  panes  of 
glass.  The  church  was  usually  surmounted  by  a 
steeple  containing  a  bell.  On  the  top  of  the  steeple 
was  a  weather-vane,  usually  in  the  form  of  a  fish.  The 
old  rooster  was  seldom  seen  on  these  churches.  Upon 
the  death  of  a  member  the  bell  was  tolled  as  many 
strokes  as  the  deceased  was  years  old.  In  this  way 
the  death  of  persons  was  announced  to  the  community, 
and  the  people  could  usually  infer  who  had  died  from 
the  number  of  strokes  of  the  bell.  The  bell  was  also 
tolled  during  the  time  of  the  burial.  The  tolling  bell 
had  a  very  solemn  sound,  and  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  the  people.  We  vividly  remember  the  sound  of 
the  tolling  church  bell.  In  the  cities  this  custom  has 
been  discontinued,  but  in  many  country  places  it  is 
still  observed. 

Generally  two  biers  (a  larger  and  a  smaller  one) 
stood  in  the  entrance  to  the  church.  We  still  remem- 
ber what  an  unpleasant  impression  these  symbols  of 
death  and  the  grave  made  upon  the  writer's  young 
heart. 

The  modern  style  of  churches  presents  a  very  strong 
contrast  to  all  previous  styles,  especially  that  of  the 
earliest  period.  We  wonder  what  our  fathers  would 
say,  if  they  could  see  one  of  these  modern  houses  of 
worship!     The    cut    herewith    printed     represents    a 


OF   THE   REFORMED    CHURCH. 


223 


modern  city  church.  It  is  frequently  erected  of  stone 
or  granite.  It  is  a  one-story  building  and  practically 
a  double  house  of  worship — one  for  the 


cono-reo;;ation 


'^Ji 


and  another  for  the  Sunday  school.  There  are  many 
advantages  of  this  style  of  churches.  Both  parts  may 
be  thrown  into  one  large  room.     On   this  account  the 


224  EARLY   HISTORY 

audience  chamber  needs  not  contain  seats  for  the  whole 
congregation,  as  not  over  three-fourths  of  the  mem- 
bers are  ever  present  at  ordinary  occasions,  and  on 
special  occasions  accommodations  may  be  provided  in 
the  way  indicated.  The  style  of  this  church  is  a  com- 
plete revolution  of  former  styles.  In  many  instances 
the  choir  and  the  organ  are  located  either  in  the  rear 
or  on  the  one  side  of  the  pulpit,  and  the  altar  is  fre- 
quently also  in  the  rear  of  the  pulpit.  The  pulpit  is  a 
small  affair  compared  with  the  former  style.  Lack  of 
space  forbids  a  more  full  description  of  the  modern 
church. 


OF   THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  225 


44. 
SLAVERY  IN  PENNSYLVANIA. 

It  sounds  strangely  to  read  about  slavery  in  the 
state  of  Pennsylvania,  yet  such  is  the  fact.  And  there 
have  been  tsvo  kinds  of  slavery,  white  and  black. 

The  white  slaves  were  the  so-called  Redemption- 
ers.  In  the  early  history  of  the  state  many  persons 
from  Europe  who  were  very  poor,  came  here  in  the 
ships  of  Land  Companies  without  paying  for  their  pas- 
sage in  advance.  Upon  landing  at  Philadelphia  they 
were  sold  into  servitude,  and  the  money  realized  was 
used  to  pay  their  passage.  Their  term  of  service  lasted 
from  three  to  five  years.  The  purchasers  were  mostly 
English  people  in  Philadelphia  and  vicinity.  Rev. 
Samuel  Guldin,  the  first  Reformed  minister  in  Penn- 
sylvania, who  came  here  in  1710,  speaks  of  these  white 
siaves  in  his  report  of  his  voyage.  (See  his  report  in 
this  volume.)  As  a  rule  these  Redemptioners  were 
well  treated.  But  there  were  exceptions.  The  court 
records  show  that  many  of  them  ran  away  from  their 
masters  on  account  of  harsh  treatment.  Many  of  these 
white  slaves  were  sold  to  Quakers,  who  as  a  rule 
treated  them  kindly.  After  their  liberation  at  the  close 
of  their  term  of  service  these  Redemptioners  were  as 
poor  as  when  they  landed,  absolutely  without  money, 
and  they  had  a  hard  struggle  to  get  a  start  in  the  new 
world. 


226  EAELY   HISTORY 

Then  negro  slavery  prevailed  in  Pennsylvania,  just 
as  it  existed  in  the  southern  states  until  the  Civil  War. 
There  was  probably  this  difference,  that  in  a  general 
way  the  slaves  in  those  days  received  better  treatment 
than  in  later  years,  when  the  traffic  in  slaves  had  be- 
come very  profitable.  At  that  early  period  people  did 
not  make  it  a  business  to  raise  slaves  for  the  market, 
as  cattle  are  raised.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that 
some  of  the  followers  of  William  Penn,  that  is,  the 
Quakers,  were  slaveholders.  In  1748  Peter  Kalm,  in 
describing  his  travels  in  Pennsylvania,  wrote  :  "  Quak- 
ers at  first  scrupled  against  holding  slaves,  but  they 
are  no  longer  so  nice,  and  they  have  as  many  negroes 
as  the  other  people.''  Penn's  object  in  purchasing 
Pennsylvania  msls  largely  to  establish  a  free  state. 
But  it  is  to  the  credit  of  the  Quakers  of  England  and 
America  that  they  were  among  the  first  to  advocate 
the  abolition  of  slavery. 

Among  the  early  slaveholders  was  Rev.  Geo.  M. 
Weiss,  the  second  ordained  Reformed  minister  coming 
to  Pennsylvania.  He  came  here  in  1727,  and  preached 
in  Montgomery  county.  He  died  in  Upper  Hanover 
township,  said  county,  in  1761,  and  among  his  property 
was  a  family  of  negro  slaves,  consisting  of  the  parents 
and  eight  children.  The  whole  family  was  appraised 
at  280  pounds.  The  father  was  then  a  cripple,  and  no 
value  was  put  upon  him.  The  children  varied  in  age 
from  four  to  twenty  years.  The  mother  was  appraised 
at  30  pounds,  the  oldest  son  of  20  years  at  50  pounds, 
down  to  the  youngest  boy  of  four  years  at  15  pounds. 

The  slave  family  became  the  property  of  the  widow 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Weiss.     In  her  will,  dated   May  9,  1765, 


OF   THE   REFOEMED   CHURCH.  227 

she  makes  disposition  of  the  slave  family.  She  states 
that  all  of  them  have  been  baptized  "  to  the  Christian 
Protestant  Reformed  Religion.'^  She  directs  that  at 
her  death  all  the  negro  slaves  shall  be  free.  She  also 
states  that  some  relatives  of  her  deceased  husband  in 
Germany  made  claim  to  one-half  of  his  estate,  and  in- 
tended to  sell  the  slaves,  which  was  '^  contrary  to  the 
sentiment  and  intention  of  my  said  deceased  husband, 
who  died  intestate.'^  Mrs.  Weiss  therefore  directed 
that  the  negro  children  should  be  bound  out  to  service 
as  long  as  necessary  to  raise  a  sufficient  sum  of  money 
to  send  them  to  the  brothers  and  relatives  of  Mr.  Weiss 
in  Germany  as  their  share  of  his  estate. 

Unfortunately  the  will  and  wish  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Weiss  in  reference  to  the  liberation  of  their  slaves  were 
not  carried  out.  The  slaves  were  sold,  but  a  strange 
fatality  set  ,in  and  one  by  one  they  died  in  rapid 
succession.  The  owner  of  one  of  the  girls,  hearing  of 
the  mortality  among  the  family,  liberated  her. 

There  were  other  slave  owners  in  the  Goshenhoppen 
region.  In  1750  a  slave  murdered  the  wife  of  David 
Schultz,  who  resided  near  New  Goshenhoppen  church. 
A  slave  of  Adam  Hillegass  tried  to  poison  his  wife,  but 
failed.  On  Jan.  26,  1766,  two  slaves  were  brought  to 
the  pastor  of  New  Goshenhoppen  church  for  baptism 
by  Thomas  Maybury. 

Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  died  without  making  a  will. 
In  the  appraisement  of  his  property  we  find  this  item  : 
"  Three  servants,  two  boys  and  one  girl,  £30."  Who 
these  servants  were  would  be  difficult  to  explain.  We 
do  not  think  they  were  negro  slaves,  else  the  fact  would 


228  EARLY   HISTORY 

be  stated.  But  they  appear  to  have  been  slaves,  be- 
cause they  were  enumerated  as  property.  Most  likely 
they  were  white  Redemptioners — persons  sold  at  Phila- 
delphia to  pay  for  their  passage  across  the  ocean. 

America  is  indebted  for  many  good  things  to  Re- 
formed Holland.  It  has  often  been  shown  that  the 
American  republic  is  based  upon  principles  imported 
from  Holland.  The  Reformed  Church  in  this  country 
owes  very  much  to  Holland  for  the  care  and  aid  given 
her  during  her  infancy  and  formative  period.  But  we 
received  one  thing  through  Holland  for  which  we  cannot 
be  thankful — slavery.  Slavery  in  our  country  com- 
menced in  1619,  when  a  Dutch  vessel  brought  a  cargo 
of  slaves  into  Virginia.  Of  course  this  was  a  matter 
of  business,  and  the  people  of  Holland  as  a  nation  w^ere 
not  responsible  for  it.  In  1713  the  English  govern- 
ment, by  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  secured  the  contract  for 
supplying  slaves  to  the  Spanish  West  Indies.  The 
trade  w^as  profitable  and  soon  reached  large  proportions. 
From  Virginia  slavery  was  also  introduced  to  some  of 
the  other  colonies.  There  were  early  protests  against 
the  traffic  in  human  beings. 

Already  on  Feb.  18,  1688,  the  Mennonites  of  Ger- 
mantown  protested  against  slavery.  Their  protest  is 
interesting  and  contains  numerous  quaint  sentences. 
We  quote  one  paragraph  : 

"  If  once  these  slaves  (weh  they  say  are  so  wicked 
and  stubborn  men)  should  joint  themselves,  fight  for 
their  freedom  and  handel  their  masters  and  mastrisses, 
as  they  did  handel  them  before;  will  these  masters  and 
mastrisses  tacke  the  sword  at  hand  and  warr  against 
these  poor  slaves,  like  we  are  able  to  believe,  some  will 
not  refuse  to  doe  ?  Or  have  these  negers  not   as  much 


OF    THE    EEFORMED    CHURCH.  229 

right  to  fight  for  their  freedom,  as  you  have  to  l^eep 
them  slaves  ?" 

The  signers  of  this  petition,  who  certainly  deserve 
remembrance,  were  Garret  Hendricks,  Derick  Op  de 
GrafP,  Francis  Daniel  Pastorins,  Abraham  Op  den  Graef, 
all  Germans  or  Hollanders.  This  protest  came  up  be- 
fore the  yearly  meeting  of  the  Quakers  on  May  5, 
1688,  but  an  evasive  reply  was  given. 

There  are  also  other  protests  against  slavery  from 
Pennsylvania  Germans  on  record.  The  people  of  Bos- 
ton did  the  same  in  a  town  meeting  in  1701.  A  number  of 
Quakers  preached  against  the  system  at  an  early  day. 

The  people  generally  were  opposed  to  slavery  in 
the  colonies,  but  England  forced  it  upon  them.  Vir- 
ginia, Pennsylvania,  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island 
passed  laws  prohibiting  the  slave  trade,  but  they  were 
vetoed  by  England.  Pennsylvania  passed  such  laws 
in  1712,  1714  and  1717,  but  in  each  case  they  were 
vetoed.  However  during  the  Revolution  most  of  the 
colonies  abolished  slavery.  When  the  constitution  was 
formulated,  the  southern  states  demanded  the  continu- 
ance of  slavery. 

In  1775  the  '^  Pennsylvania  Society  for  the  Aboli- 
tion of  Slavery''  was  organized,  and  continued  its  ex- 
istence until  its  purpose  had  been  accomplished  by  the 
Emancipation  Proclamation  of  President  Lincoln  in 
1863.  The  first  president  of  this  society  was  Benjamin 
Franklin,  that  great  statesman  and  philanthropist. 

Slavery  in  Pennsylvania  was  abolished  by  an  act 
passed  by  the  Assembly  on  March  1,  1780,  by  a  vote 
of34to21.  The  bill  was  prepared  and  urged  by 
George  Bryan,  formerly  vice  president  of  the  state. 


230  EARLY   HISTORY 


45. 
LIBERTY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

The  Reformed  Church  has  had  a  good  deal  of 
trouble  with  some  of  her  people  on  the  subject  of  lib- 
erty. This  has  been  the  cause  of  trouble  from  the  be- 
ginuing  of  the  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  and  it  has  not 
yet  fully  subsided.  There  are  still  quite  a  number  of 
congregations,  especially  in  Berks  county,  which  have 
what  are  called  independent  charters.  They  are  Re- 
formed in  doctrine,  but  they  are  independent  of  synod- 
ical  authority. 

We  find  this  independent  spirit  already  in  1730  in 
the  congregation  in  Philadelphia.  When  Rev.  Mr. 
Boehm  sought  to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  Holland 
Fathers,  he  was  met  with  the  reply  :  ^'  We  are  in  a 
free  country,  and  the  Classis  of  Holland  has  no  right 
to  give  orders  hereabouf  Mr.  Boehm  declared  it  as 
his  belief  that  this  spirit  had  been  infused  by  Rev. 
Geo.  M.  Weiss.  When  Weiss  went  to  Europe  in  this 
year  (1730)  his  place  was  taken  by  a  Rev.  Mr.  Miller, 
who  acted  in  the  same  spirit.  It  was  this  spirit  largely 
which  had  caused  the  trouble  and  division  at  Skippack. 

We  find  this  spirit  again  in  the  congregation  in 
Philadelphia  during  the  Schlatter-Steiner  controversy 
in  1750.  The  opponents  of  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  claimed 
that  it  was  his  purpose  to  take  away  their  liberty  and 


OF  THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  231 

to  domineer  over  them.  And  when  the  Coetiis  (Synod) 
decided  against  them,  they  repudiated  its  authority. 
This  same  policy  has  since  then  been  followed  by  many 
congregations. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  independent  spirit  was 
infused  into  the  people  in  the  beginning  by  designing 
ministers  who  refused  to  come  under  the  rules  of  the 
Coetus  or  who  could  not  enter  it  for  reasons.  Some  of 
these  ministers  could  not  secure  recommendations  be- 
fore coming  to  America  for  various  reasons.  One  of 
these  reasons  was  their  bad  character.  None  of  these 
were  accepted  by  the  Coetus.  They  then  used  their 
influence  against  this  body.  They  told  the  people  that 
the  Coetus  purposed  enslaving  the  people,  as  had  been 
the  case  in  Europe,  and  they  warned  them  to  have 
nothing  to  do  with  this  body.  Unfortunately  many 
people  were  only  too  ready  to  listen  to  these  men,  and 
the  result  was  great  difficulty  in  providing  godly  min- 
isters for  the  people.  These  independent  ministers 
w^ere  concerned  principally  about  their  bread,  and  used 
any  means  which  would  aid  them  in  securing  it. 

The  singular  part  is  that  this  independent  spirit 
has  continued  so  long.  The  people  must  have  ob- 
served that  the  Coetus  was  composed  of  the  best  min- 
isters, and  that  its  object  was  to  aid  the  people  and  not 
to  subjugate  them.  There  is  some  excuse  for  the  posi- 
tion of  the  early  settlers.  They  had  come  to  America 
to  escape  religious  persecution,  and  were  sensitive  on 
the  subject  of  religious  liberty.  Tiien  they  had  not 
much  means  of  information.  Again,  there  was  great 
spiritual  destitution  among  them,  and  they  readily  took 


232  EARLY   HISTORY 

up  with  any  one  who  represented  himself  as  a  minister. 
Then  there  were  some  persons  who  were  not  ardent 
Christians,  and  with  them  the  character  of  the  minister 
was  not  important.  With  them  almost  any  person 
would  do  for  a  minister.  This  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  a  number  of  ministers  without  moral  character  had 
their  followers. 

The  same  thing  occurred  frequently  in  more  recent 
years.  In  the  year  1829  public  meetings  were  held  in 
Heidelberg  and  Exeter  townships,  Berks  county,  and 
Cocalico,  Lancaster  county,  to  protest  against  the  or- 
ganization of  Bible  Societies,  Sunday  School  Union, 
Theological  Seminaries,  Tract  Societies,  Missionary  So- 
cieties, etc.  It  was  represented  that  such  societies  and 
institutions  were  managed  by  ministers  and  calculated 
to  enslave  the  people,  as  had  been  the  case  in  Europe. 
No  minister  connected  with  such  institutions  was  to  be 
supported.  The  resolutions  adopted  at  these  meetings 
speak  of  priestcraft,  destruction  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty,  union  of  Church  and  state,  etc.  The  Exeter 
meeting  condemned  the  Reformed  Church  Synod  of  the 
year  1829  because  it  advocated  a  stricter  observance  of 
the  Sabbath.  In  those  days  already  there  was  much 
desecration  of  the  holy  day.  The  representatives  in 
the  Legislature  and  Congress  were  instructed  "  to  sup- 
press, with  their  most  earnest  exertion,  every  measure 
calculated  to  curtail  the  rights  of  conscience.^'  Rev. 
William  Hendel,  D.  D.,  of  Womelsdorf,  had  much  to 
suffer  from  the  people,  because  he  had  been  an  ardent 
supporter  of  the  movement  for  a  theological  seminary 
in  the  Reformed  Church. 


OF   THE   KEFORMED    CHURCH.  233 

Conditions  are  different  now.  People  may  know 
better,  and  there  is  no  excuse  for  the  independent  at- 
titude toward  the  organized  Church  which  still  ex- 
ists in  some  places.  People  have  had  opportunity  to 
learn.  They  should  all  know  that  it  is  the  purpose  of 
the  Church  to  foster  the  interests  of  the  people,  and  not 
to  oppress  them.  We  believe  the  old  independent 
spirit  would  long  since  have  died  out  entirely  but  for 
some  independent  ministers  who  agitated  against  Clas- 
sis  and  Synod  for  selfish  purposes. 


16 


234  EARLY    HISTORY 


46. 

BOEHM'S  CHURCH, 

This  place  of  worship  is  located  in  Whitpain  town- 
ship, Montgomery  county,  Pa.,  sixteen  miles  north  of 
Philadelphia.  The  congregation  was  organized  in 
1740  by  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm,  who  resided  on  a 
farm  near  by.  He  came  to  America  in  1720,  and  did 
much  to  establish  the  Reformed  Church,  as  stated  in 
the  first  part  of  this  volume.  Before  the  organization 
of  the  congregation  he  had  for  years  preached  in  pri- 
vate houses.  He  served  the  congregation  until  his 
death,  April  29,  1749.  Soon  after  the  organization  of 
the  congregation  a  small  church  was  erected,  in  which 
Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  is  said  to  have  helped  with  his  own 
hands.  The  church  was  erected  of  stone,  with  very 
thick  walls  and  a  very  steep  roof. '  The  little  pulpit 
was  reached  by  a  winding  stairway,  and  was  sur- 
mounted with  a  sounding  board.  The  pulpit  was 
made  of  solid  walnut.  When  the  church  was  demol- 
ished in  1818,  much  of  the  wood  of  the  old  pulpit  was 
used  in  making  various  keepsakes  which  were  long 
preserved  by  the  members.  In  this  little  church  Rev. 
Mr.  Boehm  preached  until  his  death  in  1749.  He 
was  buried  under  the  altar  in  the  church.  It  was  cus- 
tomary for  the  female  catechumens  to  wear  neat  white 
caps  at  confirmation.     For  a  long  time  the  women   re- 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  235 

moved  their  hats  at  communion  and  wore  white  caps 
on  this  occasion.  After  the  death  of  Pastor  Boehm 
Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  supplied  the  people  until  1755. 
During  the  Revolution  the  small  church  was  used  as  a 
hospital  by  the  American  army.  A  number  of  soldiers 
died  in  it  and  were  buried  in  the  adjoining  graveyard. 

The  little  stone  church  served  the  small  congrega- 
tion during  seventy-eight  years.  In  1818  the  present 
church  w^as  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  §4000.  It  is  a 
two-story  building,  with  galleries  on  three  sides.  In 
this  second  church  the  grave  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  came 
to  be  in  the  southeastern  corner.  An  arch  was  erected 
over  the  grave. 

In  1870  the  church  was  remodeled  and  enlarged  at 
an  expense  of  S5438.05.  Until  this  time  the  grave  of 
Mr.  Boehm  had  not  been  marked  in  any  way.  In 
1870  a  tablet  was  placed  on  the  inside  wall  in  his 
memory,  after  his  body  had  rested  here  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years.  On  the  outside  wall  is  found  a 
plain  marble  slab  containing  the  words :  ^^  Boehm's 
Meeting  House,  founded  1740,  built  1818.''  At  an- 
other place  is  a  date  stone  with  the  inscription : 
^^  Boehm's  Church,  founded  1740,  rebuilt  1818,  en- 
larged 1870.''  The  old  windows  of  the  church  were  re- 
moved and  memorial  windows  inserted  One  of  these 
is  the  gift  of  the  descendants  of  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter. 

In  1903  the  church  was  again  remodeled  and  a 
Sunday  school  annex  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  $5000. 
The  Sunday  school  was  organized  on  July  27,  1834, 
with  17  teachers  and  117  scholars. 

From  the  beginning  in  1740  until  the  year  1814 
the  services  were  conducted  entirely   in   the   German 


236  EARLY    HISTORY 

language.  In  the  latter  year  English  services  were  in- 
troduced for  the  first  time,  but  then  only  once  every 
six  weeks.  In  the  course  of  time  the  German  lan- 
guage was  entirely  superseded  by  the  English  language. 

At  present  Boehm's  congregation  numbers  a  little 
over  300  members,  with  225  members  in  the  Sunday 
school.     The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Edgar  V.  Loucks. 

Boehm^s  congregation  at  an  early  period  felt  the 
need  of  a  parochial  school,  and  already  in  1760  pur- 
chased a  lot  of  ground  and  erected  a  school  house 
upon  it. 


OF   THE   EEFOEMED   CHURCH.  237 


47. 
FAMILY  OF  REV.  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM. 

The  following  facts  relating  to  the  family  of  Rev. 
John  P.  Boehm  are  interesting. 

Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm  was  married  in  Europe 
to  Anna  Maria  Sherer,  daughter  of  Philip  Sherer. 
On  Sept.  9,  1736,  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  purchased  200 
acres  of  land  in  Whitpain  township,  Montgomery 
county,  Pa.,  at  a  cost  of  £165,  13s.,  Id.  Here  he  re- 
sided until  his  death  in  1749.  Their  children  were: 
Anthony  William  Boehm,  Anna  Maria  Boehm,  Sevina 
Boehm,  Elizabeth  Boehm,  Maria  Philippina  Boehm 
and  John  Philip  Boehm. 

1.  Anthony  William  Boehm  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Worms  in  1714.  The  date  of  birth  and  baptism  are 
recorded  in  the  Reformed  church  book  at  Worms.  He 
settled  in  Upper  Saucon  township,  now  Lehigh  county, 
upon  land  which  his  father  had  taken  up.  Here  he 
died  and  was  buried  in  a  private  graveyard.  A  few 
years  ago  his  grave  \vas  discovered.  His  tombstone 
contains  this  inscription  in  German  :  ^^  Here  rests  in 
God  Anton  Wilhelm  Boehm,  born  April  27,  1714,  in 
Worms.  Died  April  6,  1766.  Aged  52  years."  His 
wife^s  first  name  was  Phillis.  They  had  one  child — 
Philip  Boehm.  This  son  Philip  Boehm  was  a  promi- 
nent man  during  the  Revolution.     He  was  a  lieutenant 


238  EARLY   HISTORY 

colonel  of  the  militia  of  Northampton  county,  and  was 
in  1777  apT)ointed  a  paymaster.  He  was  also  coroner 
of  Northampton  county.  In  later  life  he  appears  to 
have  become  poor,  for  in  1797  Jacob  Ochs,  a  son-in- 
law^,  w^as  bound  to  support  Philip  Boehm  and  his  wife 
during  their  natural  lives.  The  couple  had  three  chil- 
dren :  Anthony  Boehm,  a  tanner  ;  Boehm,  wife 

of  Jacob  Ochs,  and  Philip  Boehm,  who  married  a 
daughter  of  Philip  AVasser.  David  Boehm,  a  son  of 
the  above  Anthony  Boehm,  was  born  at  Hellertown, 
Pa.,  on  Sept.  15,  1812,  and  died  on  Nov.  3,  1899.  He 
was  buried  at  Apple's  church.  He  was  a  great-great- 
grandson  of  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm. 

2.  Seviua  Boehm  was  married  to  Ludwig  Bitting, 
of  Lower  Milford  township,  now  Lehigh  county.  Mr. 
Bittiug's  parents  came  from  the  Palatinate  in  1723. 
From  1736  to  1746  Mr.  Bitting  was  a  member  of  the 
Great  Swamp  Reformed  church,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  from  1758  to  1760.  He  was  born  in 
1703  and  died  in  1775.  One  of  his  daughters  was  the 
wife  of  Franz  Leidich,  a  sou  of  Rev.  John  Philip  Lei- 
dich,  a  well-known  Reformed  minister. 

3.  Elizabeth  Boehm  married  George  Shambob,  a 
weaver  of  Upper  Milford.  He  took  up  230  acres  of 
land  in  this  township  in  1740. 

4.  Maria  Philippina  Boehm  married  Cornelius  De- 
wees,  cooper.  In  1745  he  took  np  thirty  acres  of  land 
on  the  Skippack  road  for  £108.  In  1751  the  family 
resided  in  Gloucester  county,  New  Jersey. 

5.  John  Philip  Boehm,  the  youngest  child  of  Rev. 
John  Philip  Boehm,  was  married  on  August  2,   1753, 


OF   THE   REFOEMED    CHURCH.  239 

by  the  Reformed  minister  in  Philadelphia  to  Anna 
Maria  Yost,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Yost,  of 
Whitpain  township.  She  was  born  May  1,  1734.  He 
resided  upon  his  father's  homestead  of  200  acres  near 
Boehm's  church,  which  he  acquired  by  settlement  with 
the  other  heirs  of  his  father.  About  1760  he  removed 
to  Philadelphia  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness. He  united  with  the  Reformed  church  there,  and 
was  soon  after  made  an  officer.  He  was  very  active 
during  the  erection  of  the  second  church,  in  1771-74. 
In  1777  he  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
Philadelphia.  He  died  on  Sept.  17,  1790,  and  was 
buried  in  the  Reformed  graveyard  on  Race  street. 
He  bequeathed  £50  to  the  Reformed  church  in  Phila- 
delphia. His  children  were  Elizabeth,  Philip,  Daniel, 
Maria,  Philip,  Jacob,  Daniel,  Elizabeth.  It  is  remark- 
able that  the  names  of  Elizabeth,  Philip  and  Daniel 
are  repeated  in  this  family.  It  is  accounted  for  by  the 
fact  that  those  first  bearing  these  names  died  young. 
Daniel  succeeded  to  the  business  of  his  father.  Philip, 
brother  of  Daniel,  was  a  merchant  in  1793,  and  resided 
at  96  North  Second  street.  He  died  on  Nov.  19,  1806. 
A  number  of  Boehm  descendants  are  still  residing 
in  Lehigh  and  Northampton  counties. 


240  EARLY    HISTORY 


48. 
THE  CHURCH  AT  CONESTOGA. 

The  early  records  of  the  Reformed  Church  contain 
references  to  the  church  at  Conestoga.  There  have 
been  many  misapprehensions  of  these  references.  The 
term  Conestoga  means  a  large  district  rather  than  one 
single  place.  It  means  the  region  through  which  the 
Conestoga  flows.  This  definition  is  confirmed  by  Rev. 
Oourad  Tempelm'an,  who  says  in  an  official  report ; 
*^^  Conestoga  is  not  a  city,  but  a  district  deriving  this 
name  from  a  certain  stream  so  called.''  After  some 
years  the  name  came  to  nieau  the  town  Lancaster, 
which  was  laid  out  in  1730. 

The  first  Reformed  preacher  in  the  Conestoga  re- 
gion was  Rev.  Conrad  Tempelman,  the  pious  tailor 
from  Lebanon  county,  who  was  pressed  into  the  minis- 
try by  the  people  on  account  of  the  want  of  ministers. 
A  few  years  later  he  was  joined  in  the  work  by  Rev. 
John  P.  Boehm,  of  Montgomery  county.  (See  sketches 
of  these  two  pioneer  ministers  on  page  35.)  The  two 
ministers  commenced  preaching  at  about  the  same  time, 
in  1720.  There  were  then  no  regularly  organized  con- 
gregations or  churches  anywhere  in  the  state.  Rev. 
Mr.  Tempelman  in  one  of  his  reports  states  that  "  the 
Church  in  Conestoga  took  its  origin  in  1725,  with  a 
small  gathering  here  and   there   in   houses,    with   the 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  241 

readiDg  of  a  sermoD,  and  with  song  and  prayer,  upon 
all  Sundays  and  Holy  Days." 

Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  administered  the  communion  in 
Conestoga  on  Oct.  15,  1727.  He  states  that  this  was 
the  first  time  that  the  sacrament  was  administered 
there.  We  cannot  state  at  what  particular  place  this 
was,  but  believe  it  to  have  been  at  Heller's,  now  called 
Salem  church.  On  account  of  the  extent  of  the  dis- 
trict the  Reformed  people  met  in  different  places  in 
})rivate  houses.  By  and  by  the  region  was  divided 
into  six  districts  with  a  preaching  place  in  each.  At 
first  these  places  appear  to  have  been  supplied  by  Revs. 
Tempelman  and  Boehm.  Mr.  Boehm  complains  in 
one  of  his  reports  to  Holland  that  Rev.  John  Peter 
Miller,  of  Tulpehocken,  had  crowded  him  out  at  some 
of  these  places  in  Conestoga.  He  also  says  that  Rev. 
Geo.  M.  Weiss  slandered  him  and  drew  the  ^^  congre- 
gation" to  himself.  Tempelman  also  states  that  Mil- 
ler had  been  preaching  at  three  of  the  six  places. 
Weiss  on  October  2,  1727,  in  a  letter  to  a  Mr.  Schwab 
at  Conestoga  offered  to  administer  the  communion  to 
the  people  there,  which  he  also  did. 

Where  were  the  six  preaching  places  above  men- 
tioned ?  The  question  is  not  difficult  in  reference  to 
several,  but  the  location  of  the  others  is  involved  in 
some  doubt. 

1.  The  Hill  church  is  undoubtedly  Salem  or  Hel- 
ler's in  Upper  Leacock  township,  about  seven  miles 
east  of  Lancaster.  Boehm  speaks  of  the  Hill  church 
being  six  miles  from  Lancaster.  This  offers  no  serious 
discrepency.     In  Boehm's  time,  wdien   the   roads  led 


242  EARLY    HISTORY 

mostly  through  wildernesses,  distances  were  not  meas- 
ured accurately.  The  distance  from  Heller's  to  Co- 
calico  church  is  about  six  miles,  as  Boehm  states.  It 
has  been  suggested  that  the  term  Hill  would  suit  Kis- 
sel Hill,  near  Lititz,  better  than  Heller's.  But  the 
site  at  Heller's  is  located  upon  an  eminence  ;  besides 
there  is  no  documentary  evidence  that  there  was  a 
church  at  Kissel  Hill  in  early  times.  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm 
states  that  on  May  30,  1730,  a  large  congregation  was 
gathered  and  requested  to  be  organized.  On  this  occa- 
sion there  were  75  communicants.  On  February  11, 
1743,  Philip  Scot  deeded  to  John  Lein  and  Michael 
AVeidler  '^  two  acres  of  land  adjoining  Jacob  Heller's 
land,  whereon  the  meeting-house  now  stands,"  for  the 
use  of  the  congregation.  In  1748  John  Lein  was  re- 
ported present  at  Coetus  as  an  elder  "  from  the  earliest 
congregation  established  in  Conestoga,  on  May  30, 
1730."  It  is  known  that  Lein  was  a  member  at  Hel- 
ler's. The  date  of  the  organization  must  be  accepted 
as  given  above  by  Boehm.  In  a  document  in  the  cor- 
nerstone of  the  present  church  it  is  stated  :  '^  This  con- 
gregation was  founded  in  the  year  1722  by  a  number 
of  German  Reformed  fathers.  Their  first  house  was 
built  in  1722,  repaired  in  1802,  rebuilt  and  enlarged 
in  1838  by  the  same  congregation."  This  statement 
contains  two  evident  errors.  The  first  church  was  not 
erected  in  1722.  Then  it  was  not  enlarged  in  1838 
'^  by  the  same  congregation."  The  organization  took 
place  in  1730.  It  is  probable  that  Tempelman  com- 
menced to  hold  services  in  1722.  There  was  a  small 
log  church  erected  there,   but   the   date    is   unknown. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  243 

The  church  had  no  wooden  floor,  the  ground  serving 
this  purpose,  and  slabs  served  as  seats.  Documents  of 
1742  prove  the  existence  of  the  church.  After  the 
church  in  Lancaster  had  been  erected  in  1736,  the 
members  at  Heller's  went  there,  and  the  congregation 
at  the  latter  place  was  allowed  to  die,  but  the  right  to 
the  property  was  kept  up.  Thus  there  was  no  congre- 
gation there  for  many  years  until  1830,  when  Rev. 
Daniel  Herz,  of  Ephrata,  organized  a  new  Salem  con- 
gregation at  the  old  place  with  nine  members,  and 
served  them  as  pastor  from  that  time  until  1867,  when 
Rev.  D.  W.  Gerhard,  D.  D.,  the  present  pastor,  suc- 
ceeded him.  There  was  a  long  gap  in  the  history  of  the 
congregation,  and  the  statement  in  reference  to  the  or- 
ganization in  1722  is  mere  tradition.  But  Heller's 
was  the  first  Reformed  congregation  in  Lancaster 
county. 

2.  The  second  congregation  was  Cocalico,  after- 
wards named  Bethany,  whose  church  location  was 
about  a  mile  from  Ephrata.  In  the  year  1894  the 
place  of  worship  was  transferred  to  the  town  of  Eph- 
rata, where  a  neat  church  was  purchased  and  remod- 
eled. The  names  of  Goehr  and  Werns,  two  of  the  elders 
mentioned  by  Tempelman,  appear  in  the  records  of 
that  congregation.  The  time  when  the  congregation 
was  fully  organized  is  not  known,  but  it  is  believed  to 
have  been  in  1738,  in  which  year  the  first  baptismal 
record  was  made. 

3.  The  third  congregation  was  Lancaster.  John 
Jacob  Hock,  one  of  the  elders  mentioned  by  Tempel- 
man, was  called  by  the  congregation  as  its  first  pastor. 


244  EAELY   HISTORY 

He  was  a  pious  layman,  aud  no  doubt  had  served  the 
people  in  conducting  worship,  like  Tempelman  and 
Boehm.  The  time  of  the  organization  of  the  congre- 
gation is  not  known,  but  it  was  likely  between  1730 
aud  1736.  The  town  was  laid  out  in  the  former  year, 
and  the  settlement  increased  after  that.  The  church 
was  erected  in  1736,  and  dedicated  on  June  20,  being 
Whit  Sunday.  The  above  named  John  Jacob  Hock 
preached  the  sermon.  It  was  the  first  house  of  wor- 
ship dedicated  in  the  new  town.  It  was  a  log  build- 
ing, as  were  nearly  all  the  first  churches.  Hock  also 
preached  at  Cocalico  (Bethany).  It  appears  that  as 
soon  as  an  ordained  minister  could  be  secured,  Mr. 
Hock  retired.  In  1739  Rev.  John  B.  Rieger  became 
pastor. 

The  three  congregations  supplied  by  Rev.  John  Peter 
Miller  are  believed  to  have  been  Zeltenreich,  Royers 
(Brickerville)  and  Muddy  Creek. 

4.  Zeltenreich  church  was  located  near  New  Hol- 
land. We  are  unable  to  give  the  date  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  congregation,  but  it  was  before  1746.  In 
the  early  Coetal  records  this  congregation  is  known  as 
Erlentown.  After  being  long  supplied  by  visiting 
ministers,  its  first  pastor  was  Rev.  John  B.  Rieger. 
The  church  was  named  after  Andreas  Zeltenreich,  who 
donated  the  ground  upon  which  the  original  log  church 
was  erected,  but  failed  to  convey  it  legally  to  the  con- 
gregation during  his  lifetime.  This  was  done  by  his 
son  George  and  his  wife,  Mary  C,  on  Dec.  22,  1760. 
In  1799  the  log  church,  in  which  the  people  had  wor- 
shiped a  long  time,  had  become  very  dilapidated,  and 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  245 

it  was  resolved  to  erect  a  new  church  in  a  more  central 
place.  In  1799  and  1800  a  brick  church  was  erected 
in  the  village  of  Xew  Holland  upon  a  lot  donated  by 
Matthias  Shirk.  This  church  bears  the  name  of  8t. 
Stephen's.  The  cost  of  erection  was  $5827.38.  To 
raise  money  for  this  church  the  Legislature  authorized 
the  congregation  to  arrange  a  lottery.  There  is  no 
record  at  hand  of  the  result  of  this  lottery.  The  origi- 
nal ground  was  still  used^as  a  burial  ground.  In  1841 
members  of  the  Reformed  Church  and  others  erected 
the  present  Zeltenreich  church,  to  be  used  by  various 
denominations.  Soon  after  this  time  Rev.  Daniel  Herz 
reorganized  the  Reformed  congregation,  which  now 
numbers  about  175  members.  Other  denominations 
now  seldom  hold  services  in  the  church,  except  on  fun- 
eral occasions.  The  congregation  now  belongs  to  the 
Xew  Holland  charge,  whose  pastor  is  Rev.  J.  G. 
Xoss. 

5.  Brickerville  church  is  located  some  distance 
north  of  Lititz,  and  was  first  named  after  Sebastian 
Royer,  who  took  up  a  large  tract  of  land  in  1743.  In 
1747  the  Reformed  people  purchased  several  acres  from 
him  for  a  church  and  graveyard.  It  is  believed  that  a 
congregation  was  organized  in  this  year.  In  1748  a 
church  was  erected.  During  the  Revolution  this  church 
was  used  as  a  hospital,  presumably  after  the  battle  of 
Brandy  wine,  as  was  the  cloister  at  Ephrata.  Some  of 
the  wounded  soldiers  died  in  the  church  and  are  buried 
in  its  graveyard.  In  the  deed  the  congregation  is  at 
one  place  called  German  Reformed  church,  and  at  an- 
other Dutch  Reformed  church.     In  a  release  the  con- 


246  EARLY   HISTORY 

gregation  is  called  "  Evangelical  Reformation  Presby- 
terian Meeting." 

6.  Muddy  Creek  church  is  located  two  miles  west 
of  Adamstown,  and  is  named  after  a  small  stream. 
The  first  person  to  conduct  services  here  for  the  Re- 
formed people  was  Conrad  Tempelman.  He  was  fol- 
lowed for  a  short  time  by  Rev.  John  Peter  Miller,  who 
recorded  the  first  baptisms.  Subsequently  Mr.  Tempel- 
man served  a  long  time  as  pastor.  The  congregation 
was  organized  probably  soon  after  1730.  The  first 
(log)  church  was  erected  soon  after.  It  was  in  this 
church  that  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  first  met  Rev.  Mr. 
Tempelman  at  a  communion  service  in  1747,  and  was 
so  well  pleased  with  him  that  he  recommended  his  or- 
dination. The  congregation  received  one  of  the  Ger- 
man Bibles  brought  to  this  country  by  Mr.  Schlatter, 
and  this  interesting  volume  is  still  at  hand.  Unfor- 
tunately the  title  page  is  missing. 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  247 


49. 

WORTHLESS  PREACHERS. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  Reformed  people,  that  is 
before  and  after  the  organization  of  the  Coetus  in  1747, 
there  was  a  considerable  number  of  irregular  preachers 
in  Pennsylvania.  Some  of  them  had  been  school  teach- 
ers and  others  mechanics  in  the  Fatherland.  Because 
of  the  lack  of  ministers  these  men  undertook  to  exer- 
cise the  office  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and  in  this  way 
much  harm  was  done.  The  damage  was  caused  mainly 
by  the  fact  that  some  of  these  men  were  of  intemperate 
habits.  The  school  teachers  were  sufficiently  educated, 
and  with  pious  hearts  could  have  done  good.  John 
Philip  Boehm,  the  pious  school  teacher,  and  Conrad 
Tempelman,  the  pious  tailor,  are  examples  of  what 
godly  laymen  may  accomplish  in  the  absence  of  regu- 
larly ordained  ministers. 

Some  of  these  unworthy  men  took  to  preaching  as 
the  easiest  way  of  earning  a  living.  Rev.  Mr.  Schlat- 
ter refers  to  these  in  his  report  of  1746.  After  refer- 
ring to  the  few  faithful  ministers,  he  says :  ^^  There  are 
many  hirelings  and  tramps,  who  from  being  shoemak- 
ers, tailors  or  weavers,  in  one  hour  became  preachers, 
and  were  changed  by  the  innocent  people  for  lack  of 
other  measures.^'  As  stated  above,  some  lacked  char- 
acter, but  the  people  were  patient,  because   they  had  a 


248  EARLY    HISTORY 

desire  for  religious  ministrations,  and  could  not  get  reg- 
ular preachers  at  the  time.  Had  all  been  like  Boehm 
and  Tempelman,  nothing  could  be  said  against  them. 

When  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  came  here  in  1746 
with  authority  to  exercise  an  oversight  over  the  scat- 
tered and  unorganized  Reformed  people,  these  irregular 
preachers  naturally  became  uneasy,  because  they  real- 
ized that  their  occupation  was  about  to  come  to  an  end. 
Some  refused  to  recognize  Schlatter's  authority,  whilst 
others  received  him  with  due  respect  and  offered  to 
cease  performing  ministerial  acts,  upon  condition  that 
he  secure  positions  for  them  as  school  teachers,  or  to 
help  them  to  some  other  means  of  support.  Schlatter 
did  what  he  could  in  this  line,  but  there  were  not  many 
positions  for  teachers  open.  One  of  those  who  refused 
to  accept  the  new  order  of  things  was  Fred.  Cassimir 
Miller,  who  had  been  preaching  to  some  ten  small  con- 
gregations in  Oley  and  elsewhere.  He  declared  he 
would  cause  as  much  disunion  and  dissension  as  lay  in 
his  power.  Mr.  Schlatter  had  offered  to  ask  the  Hol- 
land Fathers  whether  he  should  be  ordained,  like  Mr. 
Boehm,  provided  he  should  cease  to  administer  the  sac- 
raments and  perform  marriages  until  an  answer  could 
be  received.  Miller  assented  to  this,  but  soon  changed 
his  mind  and  did  as  before.  Schlatter  therefore  did  not 
ask  for  his  ordination. 

The  Church  continued  to  be  afflicted  with  indepen- 
dent preachers,  some  without  moral  character,  long  af- 
ter ministers  had  become  more  plentiful.  There  was 
no  longer  any  excuse  for  the  people  tolerating  such 
men.  It  was  largely  this  class  of  preachers  who  stirred 
up   the   people   against   the   early   institutions  of  the 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  249 

Church.  They  told  the  people  that  a  theological  semi- 
nary was  intended  as  a  means  to  enslave  the  people, 
and  that  if  they  would  submit  they  would  soon  be  per- 
secuted by  a  priesthood  as  their  fathers  had  been  perse- 
cuted in  Germany.  Such  arguments  had  their  desired 
effect  upon  many  ignorant,  narrow-minded  people. 
But  those  days  are  past.     The  people  know  better  now. 

We  have  neither  desire  nor  space  to  enumerate  the 
cases  of  the  irregular  and  unworthy  men  referred  to. 
We  will  mention  only  one  incident.  It  is  related  that 
one  of  these  unworthy  men,  named  Fritz,  on  one  occa- 
sion ascended  the  pulpit  of  DeLong's  church  in  Berks 
county  in  a  state  of  intoxication.  He  undertook  to 
preach  on  the  words  '^  Follow  me,^'  when  he  lost  his 
balance  and  tumbled  down  the  pulpit  steps,  with  the 
words  "  follow  me"  in  his  mouth.  One  of  the  elders 
arose  and  said  :  "  'No,  brethren,  we  will  not  follow 
him  !''  The  man  was  sent  away  immediately. 

The  Lutheran  Church  was  afflicted  in  this  way  the 
same  as  the  Reformed  Church.  In  1754  Rev.  Henry 
M.  Muhlenberg  complains  about  the  vicious  vagabonds 
without  orders,  who  stirred  up  the  Germans  against 
pious  and  regularly  ordained  ministers.  He  mentions 
a  number  by  name  v/ho  were  guilty  of  crimes,  and 
pretended  to  be  Lutheran  ministers.  He  expressed  the 
belief  that  good  order  could  not  be  restored  among  the 
people  until  the  government  would  "  demand  proper 
credentials  of  all  who  exercise  the  ministry,  and  not 
suffer  vagabonds  to  laugh  at  us  who  are  regular  clergy- 
men, by  saying  it  is  a  free  country,  and  by  turning 
liberty  into  licentiousness.'^ 
17 


250  EARLY    HISTORY 


50. 
FIRST  CHURCH  NORTH  OF  THE  BLUE  MOUNTAINS. 

For  a  long  time  the  Blue  Mountains  formed  the 
northern  boundary  of  Pennsylvania.  All  beyond  was 
an  unexplored  wilderness.  Soon  after  1750  a  number 
of  German  people  from  Berks  county  passed  through 
the  Schuylkill  gap  at  what  is  now  Port  Clinton  and 
settled  in  Pine  Valley.  They  were  occasionally  vis- 
ited by  Rev.  Daniel  Schumacher,  then  pastor  of  Trin- 
ity Lutheran  church  at  Reading,  who  ministered  to 
them  in  spiritual  things.  In  1754  they  commenced 
the  erection  of  a  small  log  church,  which  was  com- 
pleted in  1755.  The  congregation  was  called  Zion's 
Lutheran  church.  Before  the  humble  little  house  of 
worship  could  be  dedicated  the  wild  and  ferocious  In- 
dians suddenly  swooped  down  upon  the  settlement, 
burned  the  church  and  their  houses,  murdered  some  of 
them  and  carried  their  children  into  captivity,  whilst 
some  others  escaped  across  the  mountains  into  Berks 
county,  where  they  found  succor  in  the  Tulpehocken 
and  Maxatawny  settlements.  The  massacre  v/as  a  re- 
sult of  the  Indian  war. 

After  a  few  years  those  who  had  escaped  returned 
to  Schuylkill  county,  buried  the  bones  of  those  who 
had  been  murdered  and  re-established  their  homes.  In 
1765  they  commenced  the  erection  of  a  new  and  larger 


OF   THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  251 

log  church  upon  the  old  site,  which  was  completed  in 
1770.  Rev.  Daniel  Schumacher  continued  to  serve 
these  people  until  1782.  In  1799  the  old  log  church 
erected  in  1770  was  demolished  and  the  erection  of  a 
larger  stone  church  commenced.  It  was  completed 
only  in  1803,  and  dedicated  on  May  29  and  30  of  that 
year. 

About  the  year  1778  a  considerable  number  of  Re- 
formed people  settled  in  the  same  region.  A  few  had 
come  earlier.  In  1795  they  erected  a  church  within  a 
few  rods  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  called  Rev.  B.  J. 
Decker  as  their  pastor.  He  was  succeeded  by  Revs. 
Hartzell,  Kroll  and  Ph.  Mayer.  In  1863  both  con- 
gregations united  and  worshiped  jointly  in  the  Luth- 
eran church,  whilst  the  old  Reformed  church  was  de- 
molished. The  union  continues  to  this  day.  In  1883 
the  present  frame  church  was  dedicated.  It  was 
painted  red,  and  on  this  account  is  known  as  the  "  red'^ 
church.  At  a  later  period  it  was  painted  white,  but 
this  caused  great  dissatisfaction,  and  it  was  again 
painted  red.  In  1808  a  pipe  organ  was  installed, 
which  was  made  at  Quakertown.     It  is  still  in  use. 


252  EARLY   HISTORY 


51. 
A  MINISTER'S  TRAGIC  DEATH. 

In  1748  two  new  ministers  were  sent  to  Pennsyl- 
vania by  the  Fathers  in  Holland,  in  response  to  ear- 
nest appeals  made  to  them.  These  two  ministers  were 
Kevs.  John  Jacob  Hochreutiner  and  Dominions  Bar- 
tholomaens.  They  arrived  at  Rev.  Mr  Schlatter's  house 
in  Philadelphia  on  August  13,  1748.  The  former  w^as 
intended  to  become  pastor  at  Lancaster  and  the  latter 
at  Tulpehocken.  There  was  great  joy  among  the  peo- 
ple at  those  places  on  account  of  the  prospect  of  soon 
having  pastors.  But  the  joy  of  the  Lancaster  people 
was  soon  turned  into  deep  sorrow. 

Mr.  Hochreutiner  preached  an  acceptable  trial  ser- 
mon at  Lancaster,  and  the  people  at  once  gave  him  a 
call,  which  he  accepted.  He  returned  to  Philadelphia 
and  prepared  for  his  settlement  at  Lancaster.  In  Oc- 
tober an  elder  was  sent  from  Lancaster  to  Philadelphia 
to  bring  the  new  pastor  to  his  field  of  labor.  On  Octo- 
ber 14  the  elder  reached  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Schlat- 
ter in  Philadelphia  with  a  horse  for  the  new  minister's 
use.  At  the  same  moment  an  accident  happened  to 
Rev.  Mr.  Hochreutiner  which  suddenly  ended  his  life. 
He  had  brought  a  gun  with  him  from  Europe,  which 
he  loaded  before  leaving  the  ship,  thinking  he  was 
about  to  enter  a  wild  country.     During    his   visit   to 


OF   THE   REFOEMED    CHURCH.  253 

Lancaster  he  changed  his  mind  on  this  point,  and  be- 
fore starting  for  Lancaster  he  concluded  to  withdraw 
the  charge  from  the  gun.  But  the  gun  was  suddenly 
discharged,  and  the  minister  was  killed.  Rev.  Mr. 
Schlatter  was  not  at  home.  When  Mrs.  S.  went  into 
the  room,  she  found  the  new  minister  dead  on  the 
floor !  The  elder  now  returned  to  Lancaster  with  the 
sad  news  that  the  expected  new  pastor  was  dead.  Mr. 
Hochreutiner  had  prepared  an  excellent  introductory 
sermon,  which  was  found  in  his  pocket.  It  is  said 
that  many  tears  were  shed  at  the  funeral  of  this  man 
on  October  16.  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  preached  the 
sermon. 


254  EARLY    HISTORY 


52. 

EARLY  DEFECTIONS. 

There  have  always  be'en  transitions  from  one  de- 
nomination to  another  on  the  part  of  members  and  min- 
isters, and  in  some  cases  of  congregations. 

There  were  early  divisions  in  Reformed  congrega- 
tions. In  1727  or  1728  a  division  occurred  in  the 
Skippack  congregation  soon  after  the  first  Reformed 
church  in  this  state  had  been  erected. — In  1750  Rev. 
John  C.  Steiner  and  his  party  seceded  from  the  Re- 
formed congregation  in  Philadelphia  and  erected  a  sep- 
arate church  on  Race  street.  The  enterprise  failed. — 
In  1762  Rev.  Frederick  Rothenbiihler,  who  had  been 
dismissed  by  the  Reformed  congregation  in  Philadel- 
phia on  account  of  intemperance,  organized  an  inde- 
pendent congregation  under  the  name  of  St.  George's, 
and  erected  a  new  church  on  Fourth  street.  But  this 
movement  was  also  a  failure.  The  people  got  into  debt, 
and  some  of  them  were  thrown  into  prison  for  it.  In 
1770  the  building  was  sold  and  purchased  for  the  use 
of  St.  George's  M.  E.  church,  and  is  still  known  as 
such.     The  Reformed  congregation  disbanded. 

The  first  transition  from  the  Reformed  Church  to 
another  denomination  occurred  in  1 806,  as  a  result  of  a 
language  controversy.  In  1805  an  effort  was  made  to 
introduce  English  services  in  the  congregation  in  Phil- 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  255 

adelphia,  but  the  motion  was  lost  by  a  tie  vote  in  the 
consistory.  In  the  following  year  (1806)  those  in 
favor  of  English  services  withdrew  and  organized  a 
separate  congregation.  At  first  they  were  served  by  a 
Presbyterian  minister,  and  subsequently  the  congrega- 
tion united  with  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.  They 
erected  a  church  on  Crown  street  in  1810. 

The  first  instance  of  an  organized  congregation  with 
its  pastor  going  from  the  Reformed  Church  into  an- 
other denomination  occurred  in  1856.  Rev.  Jacob 
Helffenstein  was  pastor  of  the  Reformed  church  in 
Germantown.  Gradually  he  dissented  from  the  views 
taught  in  the  Reformed  Seminary.  On  March  27, 
1853,  he  preached  a  strong  sermon  in  this  line.  In 
1854  he  made  his  last  report  to  the  Reformed  Classis, 
stating  that  there  were  445  communicants  in  the  con- 
gregation. The  congregation  then  declared  itself  in- 
dependent, and  was  later  received  into  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  together  with  the  pastor.  Rev.  Mr.  Helffen- 
stein.  A^arious  efforts  were  made  to  prevent  the  traoT 
sition,  but  of  no  avail.  Thus  one  of  the  largest  con- 
gregations and  most  valuable  properties  were  lost  to 
the  Reformed  Church. 


256  EARLY    HISTORY 


53. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Pennsylvania  was  in  early  times  called  ^^  the  Prov- 
ince of  Pennsylvania."  All  the  original  states  or  colo- 
nies were  called  provinces.  The  first  record  of  the  Re- 
formed congregation  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  is  entitled : 
^^  Church  Protocol  of  the  newly  built  Reformed  Church, 
here  in  the  island  of  Pennsylvania,  in  Conastoken  in 
the  new  town  named  Lancaster."  The  church  was 
erected  in  1736,  and  the  first  service  was  held  in  it  on 
Whitsunday,  June  20,  of  that  year.  The  first  pastor 
after  the  erection  of  the  church  was  Rev.  John  Jacob 
Hock.  The  Lancaster  congregation  is  one  of  the  old- 
est in  the  denomination.  In  early  times  the  whole 
region  around  Lancaster  was  called  Conestoga  on  ac- 
count of  the  stream  by  that  name.  There  was  Re- 
formed preaching  in  this  locality  already  in  1725  by 
Conrad  Tempelman,  a  pious  tailor  from  Lebanon 
county.  There  was  neither  an  organized  congregation 
nor  church  for  some  years,  and  the  people  came  to- 
gether in  private  houses  for  worship.  Because  of  the 
great  extent  of  the  territory  there  were  at  one  time  six 
preaching  places,  three  of  which  were  served  by  Rev. 
John  P.  Boehm  and  the  other  three  by  Rev.  John 
Peter  Miller.  In  the  course  of  time  congregations 
were  established  at  several  places,  as  also  at   Lancaster 


OF   THE   REFOEMED    CHUECH.  257 

after  the  town  had  been  founded  in  1730.  The  exact 
date  of  the  organization  of  the  congregation  there  is 
not  known,  but  it  is  assumed  that  it  was  several  years 
before  the  erection  of  the  church  in  1736. 

One  of  the  early  members  and  possibly  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Reformed  church  in  Lancaster,  Pa., 
was  Ludwig  Christopher  Frauciscus.  He  was  a  Swiss, 
and  emigrated  to  the  new  world  early  in  the  eighteenth 
century.  He  was  born  December  23,  1680,  married  in 
1718  and  died  September  27,  1757,  as  the  epitaph  on 
his  tomb-tone  tells  us.  He  settled  first  at  Pequea. 
The  region  was  then  a  wilderness.  Mr.  F.  lived  in  a 
log  cabin.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of  great 
strength,  courage  and  daring.  One  evening  when  all 
had  retired  except  a  daughter,  Mr.  Franciscus  heard  a 
noise  at  the  door  of  the  cabin.  He  opened  the  door, 
and  at  the  same  time  a  wolf  seized  him.  Franciscus 
accepted  the  challenge,  hugged  the  wolf  tightly  and 
called  to  his  daughter  to  bring  the  butcher  knife  and 
rip  open  the  breast  of  the  wolf.  She  did  so,  and  the 
Avolf  was  killed.  The  place  where  this  thrilling  inci- 
dent occurred  is  well  known.  The  land  was  after- 
ward purchased  by  Daniel  Zimmerman,  who  erected  a 
fine  house  upon  it  in  1750.  The  early  records  of  the 
Reformed  church  in  Lancaster  show  that  Franciscus 
was  a  prominent  man,  and  took  an  active  interest  in 
the  church. 

In  early  times  candidates  for  naturalization  were 
required  to  have  a  religious  qualification.  On  July  25, 
1741,  Rev.  John  P.  Boehm  w^rote :  ''  People  are  now 
naturalized  in  a  different  way.     They  must  have  lived 


258  EARLY    HISTORY 

seven  years  in  Pennsylvania,  be  of  the  Protestant  re- 
ligion, and  must  furnish  a  certificate  from  their  minis- 
ters that  they  not  more  than  three  months  ago  have 
received  the  Lord's  Supper.  If  this  is  found  true,  they 
are  accepted,  otherwise  not.  They  must  take  an  oath 
on  these  points/' — This  was  done  under  an  act  of  Par- 
liament in  the  thirteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  King 
George  11.  The  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania  held 
its  first  session  to  naturalize  persons  in  Philadelphia, 
Sept.  25-27,  1740.  Foreigners  who  had  resided  here 
seven  years  and  had  received  the  Lord's  Supper  in 
some  Protestant  or  Reformed  congregation  within 
three  months  could  be  naturalized.  The  proceedings 
of  the  Supreme  Court  state  that  foreigners  thus  quali- 
fied ^'became  natural  born  subjects  of  Great  Britain." 
Foreigners  made  American  born  ! — Rev.  John  B.  Rie- 
ger  was  naturalized  on  one  of  the  above  days ;  Rev. 
John  Philip  Boehm,  April  10,  1741  ;  Rev.  Conrad 
Tempelman,  April,  1743;  Rev.  Geo.  M.  Weiss,  Sept. 
10,1761;  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter,  April  11,  1763.— 
The  Quakers,  of  whom  many  were  naturalized,  were 
not  required  to  furnish  a  certificate  of  communion. 

Various  efforts  were  made  to  unite  the  two  Re- 
formed Churches  in  this  country.  Already  in  1743  the 
Synods  in  Holland  proposed  a  union  between  the  two 
Reformed  and  the  Presbyterian  Churches  in  America, 
which  was  natural.  The  Holland  Synods  had  been 
fostering  the  Dutch  Reformed  in  New  York  and  New 
Jersey,  and  were  also  manifesting  an  active  interest  in 
the  German  Reformed  in  Pennsylvania.  But  the 
German  people  declined  the  proposition. 


OF   THE   EEFOEMED    CHURCH.  259 

lu  1768  three  delegates  of  the  Dutch  Coetus  of 
New  York  and  New  Jersey  appeared  before  the  Ger- 
man Coetus  at  Easton  with  a  proposition  to  unite  the 
two  branches  of  the  Reformed  Church.  They  also 
proposed  to  send  a  united  delegation  to  the  Reformed 
Synods  in  Holland.  The  matter  was  discussed  one 
evening  until  midnight.  The  German  Coetus  de- 
clared that  a  closer  union  would  be  desirable,  but  the 
proposition  for  a  full  union  was  incompatible  with  its 
relations  to  the  Church  in  Holland.  The  latter  body 
was  greatly  pleased  with  this  action  of  the  Reformed 
in  Pennsylvania. 

The  most  recent  effort  to  unite  the  two  Reformed 
Churches  in  this  country  was  made  in  the  year  1888. 
The  two  General  Synods  took  favorable  action,  and 
appointed  committees  to  formulate  a  plan  for  a  federal 
union.  When  this  had  been  done  and  the  union  was 
almost  accomplished,  the  whole  movement  failed  by 
the  General  Synod  of  the  Dutch  Church  postponing 
final  action  indefinitely. 

With  all  our  boasted  superiority  over  our  fathers, 
it  is  a  question  whether  we  are  any  better  than  they 
were,  or  even  as  good,  religiously.  There  is  every 
evidence  that  the  people  of  former  days  were  possessed 
of  an  earnest  Christian  spirit.  The  devotional  spirit 
prevailed  largely.  The  people  had  a  zeal  for  religion 
and  the  house  of  God.  We  are  told  that  during  many 
years  in  the  First  Reformed  church  in  Philadelphia  a 
regular  meeting  for  exhortation  and  prayer  was  held 
an  hour  before  the  morning  and  evening  services  of  the 
Sabbath.  These  devotional  meetings  were  conducted 
by  pious  laymen,  and  were  of  a  refreshing  character. 


260  EARLY    HISTORY 

There  was  also  a  time  when  nearly  all  the  members 
upon  taking  their  seats  in  church  oifered  a  silent 
prayer  for  the  Lord's  blessing  upon  the  service.  Some 
did  this  standing  at  the  entrance  of  the  pew.  This 
pious  habit  is  still  practised  at  many  places,  but  at 
some  places  it  has  been  forgotten,  especially  in  many 
country  churches.  Now  people  enter  and  take  their 
seats  as  if  the  church  were  a  public  hall. 

One  of  the  first  instances  of  renting  the  pews  in 
the  church  was  that  of  the  Reformed  church  in  Lan- 
caster, Pa.  The  proposition  to  rent  the  church  pews 
was  made  as  early  as  1772,  but  the  opposition  was  so 
strong  that  the  matter  was  then  dropped.  In  1773  the 
plan  was  renewed  and  carried  by  a  small  majority. 
But  because  of  the  opposition  of  the  minority  it  proved 
a  failure.  Only  a  small  number  took  pews.  The  mat- 
ter was  discussed  annually  for  some  years  and  then 
abandoned,  because  the  members  could  not  be  harmon- 
ized in  the  matter.  The  matter  was  allowed  to  rest 
for  many  years.  In  1830  the  plan  of  family  seats  was 
recommended  to  the  consistory  by  Peter  E-eitzel,  but  it 
was  not  adopted  until  1836.  Then  for  the  first  time 
was  the  custom  of  renting  the  pews  firmly  and  perma- 
nently established  in  that  church. 

In  Saur's  paper  of  Sept.  1,  1750,  appears  an  article 
in  reference  to  one  of  a  number  of  difficulties  in  the 
church  at  Lancaster.  Some  of  the  members  locked  the 
church  door  against  the  minister,  because  they  believed 
he  was  unfit  to  preach.  The  charge  against  him  was 
that  he  had  been  instructing  a  young  lady  privately 
under  suspicious  circumstances.     The  parents  objected 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  261 

to  the  arraugement.  Some  claimed  that  the  minister 
had  to  leave  Europe  on  account  of  immoral  conduct, 
and  for  this  reason  could  not  bring  reccmmendations 
with  him.  But  the  minister's  friends  opened  the 
church  by  force.  They  claimed  that  the  minister 
might  still  preach,  and  that  parents  might  keep  their 
daughters  and  servants  at  home ;  that  it  was  not  likely 
that  a  better  minister  could  be  secured,  and  that  those 
not  wanted  in  Germany  were  usually  of  doubtful  char- 
acter. They  also  argued  "  that  the  minister  is  already 
advanced  in  years,  having  no  teeth  in  his  mouth,  and 
that  he  would  not  last  long  at  any  rate,''  etc.  (Strange 
reasoning.) 

In  an  article  in  Saur's  paper  of  October  16,  1750, 
Rev.  J.  B.  Rieger  speaks  about  ministers  of  doubtful 
character.  He  mentions  one  point  of  peculiar  interest, 
because  the  principle  involved  has  been  handed  down 
to  our  day.  Some  people  claimed  that  the  ministers 
referred  to  might  still  preach  ;  that  people  might  fol- 
low their  words,  but  not  their  example.^  We  have 
heard  this  foolish  distinction  in  our  day.  Formerly 
there  were  several  intemperate  ministers  in  eastern 
Pennsylvania,  and  some  people  did  not  see  much 
wrong  about  them.  They  claimed  that  these  men 
could  preach,  and  people  could  accept  their  words 
without  following  their  examples.  Such  people  are 
spiritually  blind. 

The  name  of  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  is  spelled  in 
different  ways.  He  himself  wrote  it  frequently  Slatter, 
and  sometimes  it  was  written  Slaughter. 

The  early  Reformed  people  were  frequently  called 
"  High  Dutch  Reformed  Calvinists.''    Rev.  Mr.  Schlat- 


262  EARLY    HISTORY 

ter  is  named  as  the  pastor  of  these  people  in  Philadel- 
phia in  the  passport  which  the  governor,  James  Hamil- 
ton, issued  to  him  on  January  29,  1751,  when  he  was 
about  going  to  Europe  to  solicit  money  for  the  churches 
in  Pennsylvania. — About  six  years  after  Reading  had 
been  laid  out,  viz.,  on  May  20,  1754,  two  lots  of 
ground,  each  60  by  230  feet,  were  conveyed  by  Thomas 
and  Richard  Penn  to  the  "  Religious  Society  of  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Calviuists.'^ — Sometimes  they  were 
known  also  as  Presbyterians. 

In  1757  the  Coetus  states  that  the  Presbyterians 
had  appointed  four  days  in  the  year  for  public  prayer 
and  repentance  ^^  in  these  wicked  and  troublous  times," 
and  the  Coetus  resolved  to  follow  their  example  and 
celebrate  the  same  days. 

Rev.  D.  Bartholomaeus,  after  a  long  illness,  during 
which  time  he  was  largely  aided  by  Coetus,  died  on 
July  28,  1768,  and  the  Coetus  also  paid  the  funeral 
expenses,  which  amounted  to  three  pounds.  This  was 
about  $8.00.  In  those  days  money  was  worth  more 
than  now,  and  funerals  were  more  simple.  In  1815 
Rev.  Philip  Pauli  died  in  Reading,  and  the  congrega- 
tion paid  the  funeral  expenses,  which  amounted  to 
$26.66.  John  Roland,  during  about  fifty  years  school- 
master at  Reading,  died  in  1849,  and  was  buried  at  the 
expense  of  the  First  church.  The  expenses  amounted 
to  $18. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  devotion  of  the  Germans  to 
their  mother  tongue  a  letter  from  Rev.  J.  C.  A.  Helf- 
fenstein  to  the  Executive  Council  of  Pennsylvania  may 
be  cited.     He  was  pastor  of  the  Reformed   church    at 


OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH.  263 

Lancaster,  and  his  letter  is  dated  Jan.  11,  1778.  It  is 
a  petition  to  have  German  papers  circulated  among  the 
Germans  to  inform  them  of  military  and  civil  transac- 
tions, as  was  done  by  means  of  English  papers.  Mr. 
H.  stated  that  the  Germans  could  not  read  or  under- 
stand English  papers. 

Unfortunately  a  number  of  the  ministers  from  Ger- 
many sent  by  Holland  proved  inefficient.  Some  could 
not  accommodate  themselves  to  American  conditions, 
whilst  others  possessed  no  qualifications  for  the  minis- 
try. Rev.  Mr.  Wittner  was  one  of  these.  He  was  of 
a  melancholy  temperament,  and,  the  Coetal  minutes 
say,  he  "  was  despised  and  hated  by  everybody .''  The 
Coetus  of  1770  says  he  is  almost  unfit  for  the  ministry, 
and  no  one  wanted  him.  For  some  time  he  was  unem- 
ployed, and  the  Coetus  aided  him.  Subsequently  he 
served  a  charge  in  Lehigh  county  and  got  along  better. 
In  1778  the  Coetal  minutes  state  that  his  poverty  had 
been  the  main  cause  of  the  miserable  condition  of  his 
body  and  mind. 

In  1769  a  young  minister  named  John  W.  Pithan 
came  here  and  offered  himself  to  the  Coetus.  He  came 
from  Germany  and  possessed  testimonials  showing  that 
he  had  been  ordained  by  the  Palatinate  Consistory. 
The  Coetus  recommended  him  to  the  congregations  in 
and  near  Easton,  which  were  vacant.  But  he  was  a 
failure.  ^'  He  was  accused  and  convicted  of  an  offen- 
sive and  godless  life.'^  He  confessed  his  faults  and 
was  allowed  to  continue  a  while  longer,  with  the  under- 
standing that  in  case  of  further  complaint  he  would  be 
dismissed  by  the  Coetus.  He  was  deposed  in  1771 
and  became  an  ''•  ecclesiastic  vagabond.^' 


264  EARLY    HISTORY 

Another  uufortunate  minister  was  Kev.  Peter  Paul 
Pernisius,  who  came  here  with  a  daughter  in  1784. 
(One  authority  says  two  daughters.)  He  owed  138 
florins  for  his  passage,  which  the  Coetus  paid.  He  was 
at  once  sent  to  the  congregations  in  Xew  Jersey,  but 
these  returned  him  soon.  He  was  then  oflPered  to  Leb- 
anon and  vicinity,  but  he  was  not  accepted.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Coetus  then  persuaded  the  congregations  in 
Northampton  county  to  accept  him,  which  was  done. 
He  remained  there  several  years.  In  1786  it  is  stated 
that  he  was  useless  in  this  country  and  would  leave 
America  if  he  had  the  money  to  do  so.  The  Coetus 
did  not  possess  the  money  either  to  support  him  or  send 
him  home.  He  was  too  old  when  he  came  here.  The 
people  asked  why  a  man  who  is  ready  for  the  grave 
was  compelled  to  undertake  the  wearisome  journey  to 
America.  Besides,  it  was  impossible  for  a  man  of  Per- 
nisius'  age  to  adapt  himself  to  American  conditions. 
The  Coetus  deplores  that  the  Holland  Fathers  expended 
their  money  in  sending  three  natives  of  Switzerland 
(Loretz,  Pernisius  and  Willy,  who  came  in  the  same 
ship),  because  they  were  failures.  Pernisius  was  de- 
posed in  1789.  In  the  summer  of  1788  he  was  charged 
with  having  shot  a  Danish  beggar  to  death.  The  cir- 
cumstantial evidence  was  very  strong  against  him.  He 
was  committed  to  prison  in  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Wey- 
berg  secured  bail  for  him,  and  employed  two  lawyers 
to  represent  him.  Dr.  W.  also  paid  over  28  pounds  as 
costs  to  defend  and  free  the  prisoner,  who  escaped  pun- 
ishment, but  he  soon  showed  his  bad  character.  The 
record  says  he   was   ^'  a  continuous  drunkard,  swearer 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  265 

and  blasphemer,  and  also  a  digger  of  hidden  treasures, 
and  a  conjurer  of  the  devil.'' 

Rev.  Samuel  Dubendorf  came  to  this  country  in 
1776  as  chaplain  of  some  of  the  Hessian  troops  which 
England  had  hired  to  fight  against  the  Americans. 
Mr.  D.  concluded  to  remain  here,  as  did  many  of  the 
Hessians.  He  had  remained  some  time  with  the  Brit- 
ish in  Xew  York.  He  was  made  pastor  of  the  Re- 
formed church  at  Germantown,  but  the  prejudice  of 
the  people  destroyed  his  usefulness.  He  was  a  good 
and  sincere  man,  but  the  people  suspected  him  of  sid- 
ing with  the  British.  In  1780  he  left  German  town 
and  went  to  Lykens  Valley,  Dauphin  county.  He 
was  then  called  an  aged  gentleman.  In  1781  he  com- 
plained to  Coetus  of  the  poverty  of  his  congregations. 
He  was  poor  and  in  great  danger  of  the  Indians.  Coe- 
tus resolved  to  send  him  15  pounds.  In  1783  the 
Holland  brethren  agreed  to  send  him  100  guilders. 
These  statements  are  gleaned  from  the  minutes  of  the 
Coetus.  Mr.  Reidemeister,  of  Philadelphia,  a  nephew 
of  Mr.  Dubendorf,  under  date  of  May  18,  1780,  upon 
request  of  the  Fathers  in  Holland,  sent  them  a  report 
of  the  case  of  his  uncle,  the  minister.  But  his  account 
differs  from  the  above  in  one  point.  He  says  nothing 
about  his  coming  here  with  the  Hessians  as  chaplain. 
His  voyage  occupied  twenty  weeks.  He  was  detained 
in  Xew  York  four  weeks  until  he  could  obtain  a  pass 
from  the  British  Gen.  Howe  to  go  to  Philadelphia. 

In  1782  a  congregation  in  Westmoreland  county 
asked  for  a  minister.  The  region  was  then  called  ''  a 
new  settlement,  near  Pittsburg."  It  was  a  new  coun- 
18 


266  EARLY   HISTORY 

try  and  not  well  known.  Rev.  John  W.  Weber  agreed 
to  go  out  and  labor  there,  and  he  thus  became  the  pio- 
neer Reformed  minister  in  western  Pennsylvania.  His 
charge  is  next  year  stated  as  consisting  of  Fort  Pitt 
(Pittsburg),  Hannatown,  Hempfield  and  Mt.  Pleasant. 
He  did  not  attend  the  meetings  of  the  Coetus  until 
1787,  on  account  of  the  great  distance,  and  then  again 
in  1791. 

In  1785  Mr.  Ludovicus  Chitara,  a  former  Au- 
gustinian  monk,  requested  to  be  admitted  to  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Church.  He  had  good  testimonials.  He 
was  placed  under  the  direction  of  Revs.  Hendel  and 
Weyberg.  In  the  year  following  he  was  publicly  ex- 
amined by  Coetus  and  found  acceptable.  He  was  re- 
quested to  wait  another  year  for  ordination,  but  mean- 
while engage  in  pastoral  work,  excepting  the  admini- 
stration of  the  sacraments,  under  the  supervision  of  a 
minister.  Mr.  Chitara  was  poor,  and  the  Coetus  had 
by  this  time  expended  over  32  pounds  for  board  and 
clothing  for  him.  In  1788  the  Coetus  resolved  to  or- 
dain him  in  the  church  at  Knowlton,  N.  J.  The  Hol- 
land Fathers  criticised  this  act.  This  is  probably  the 
only  case  of  its  kind  in  the  history  of  the  Reformed 
Church.  This  man  must  have  been  a  giant-like  look- 
ing person.  He  was  seven  feet  tall,  and  married  a 
lady  nearly  of  his  own  size.  She  died,  leaving  one 
son.  About  eight  weeks  later  Mr.  Chitara  also  died, 
after  having  preached  four  or  five  years.  Mr.  Chitara 
was  undoubtedly  the  tallest  person  who  ever  graced 
the  Reformed  ministry.  Dr.  B.  S.  Schneck,  who  with 
Dr.  T.  L.  HoflPeditz  went  to  Germany  in  1843  to  call 


OF    THE    REFORMED   CHURCH.  267 

Dr.  F.  W.  Krummacher  to  a  professorship  in  the  new 
theological  seminary,  was  also  a  good  deal  over  six 
feet  tall.  While  in  Germany  the  two  visited  Berlin 
and  attended  a  review  of  Prussian  troops.  Presently 
the  captain  of  the  king's  body  guard,  observing  the 
tall  form  of  Dr.  Schneck,  sought  to  enlist  him  for  the 
guard.  The  king^s  body  guard  was  composed  exclu- 
sively of  tall  men.  Dr.  Schneck  informed  the  captain 
that  he  was  already  a  soldier  of  a  King,  but  whose 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world. 

Like  all  others,  the  Keformed  people  were  unfa- 
vorably affected  during  the  Revolutionary  period.  The 
people  were  naturally  excited,  and  the  war  interfered 
greatly  with  the  work  of  the  Church.  At  the  meeting 
of  Coetus  in  1775  the  last  Wednesday  of  June  was 
designated  as  a  day  of  general  fasting,  repentance  and 
prayer,  which  was  to  be  observed  in  all  congregations. 
In  its  report  to  Holland,  under  date  of  May  12,  1775, 
the  Coetus  says  :  "  We  live  in  precarious  times,  the 
like  of  which,  so  far  as  we  know,  has  never  been  seen 
in  America.  The  Lord  knows  what  He  has  in  store 
for  us,  and  especially  for  our  beloved  Church.  May 
our  hearts  truly  and  sincerely  humble  themselves  be- 
fore the  Lord.  Perhaps  God,  angry  because  of  our 
sins,  may  then  relent  and  leave  a  new  blessing  behind 
Him,  so  that  we  may  offer  meat-offerings  and  thank- 
offerings  to  the  Lord  our  God  !  Dear  Sirs  and  Fathers, 
do  not  forget  us  in  your  prayers  to  the  merciful  God, 
that  He  may  not  entirely  avert  from  us  His  fatherly 
face,  but  always  recognize  us  mercifully  as  His  own." 
In  the  meeting  of  1777  complaint   is  made   about  the 


268  EARLY   HISTORY 

distractions  caused  by  the  war.  The  observance  of  the 
Sabbath  Day  and  family  worship  were  greatly  neg- 
lected. It  was  stated  that  the  people  were  thinking 
more  about  arms  than  of  God's  word. — The  close  of 
the  war  was  hailed  with  joy.  In  the  minutes  of  Coe- 
tus  of  1783  it  is  stated  that  special  joy  and  cheerful- 
ness were  apparent  in  both  ministers  and  elders  on  ac- 
count of  the  blessed  times  of  peace.  The  Coetus  de- 
clares that  the  change  of  government  was  especially 
welcome  to  them,  because  the  Reformed  people  of  Hol- 
land and  the  United  States  could  have  more  unre- 
stricted fellowship  as  citizens  of  two  republics. 

In  1786  the  Coetus  complains  about  the  evil  effects 
of  the  war  upon  the  life  of  the  people — debauchery  and 
luxury,  instead  of  gratitude  for  what  the  Lord  had 
done  for  them.  A  spirit  of  extravagance  prevailed. 
Many  people  were  no  longer  satisfied  with  home-made 
clothing,  as  before,  and  "  lived  above  their  stations.'' 
The  ministers  grieved  over  this  spirit,  but  said  that  all 
admonitions  were  in  vain. 

The  Colonial  Congress  held  its  sessions  in  York, 
Pa.,  from  September,  1777,  to  June,  1778.  Many 
members  of  Congress  attended  worship  in  the  Re- 
formed church,  although  the  services  were  conducted 
in  German,  as  did  also  Gen.  George  Washington  whilst 
on  a  visit  to  Congress.  Col.  Philip  Livingston,  a  mem- 
ber of  Congress  from  New  York  and  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  died  during  the  sessions 
and  was  buried  in  the  Reformed  graveyard.  His  body 
was  afterward  removed  to  another  place. 

As  is  w^ll  known,  there  was  a  time  when  people 
could  be  imprisoned  for  not  paying  their  debts.     Rev. 


OF   THE   REFOEMED   CHURCH.  269 

J.  F.  Berger  was  one  of  those  who  failed  to  adorn  the 
gospel  by  a  godly  walk  and  conversation.  He  was  in- 
temperate and  made  debts  which  he  failed  to  pay. 
Whilst  located  at  Reading  he  was  imprisoned  by  some 
of  his  creditors.  He  regained  his  liberty  by  telling  his 
creditors  that  the  Coetus  owed  him  as  much  money  as 
was  required  to  pay  his  debts,  which  he  would  secure 
at  the  approaching  meeting.  At  the  meeting  he  be- 
haved very  unseemly,  and  he  was  no  longer  considered 
a  member. 

It  happened  several  times  that  young  men  here 
sought  ordination  from  improper  motives.  One  was  a 
Mr.  Roth,  who  applied  in  1785,  but  who  ^' cared  only 
for  the  honor  and  support.^^  He  was  advised  to  drop 
his  purpose,  which,  if  carried  out,  "  would  result  in  the 
ruin  of  himself  and  his  congregations.'^  Mr.  Roth  ap- 
plied again  in  1787,  together  with  Mr.  Giesse.  Both 
were  refused.  Mr.  Giesse  "  was  directed  to  his  school, 
and  Mr.  Roth  to  his  carpenter's  bench.''  Since  then 
many  young  men  hav^e  been  accepted  for  the  ministry 
who  should  have  been  sent  to  the  plow  or  to  mechani- 
cal tools. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  the  number  of  Re- 
formed people  in  Pennsylvania  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Reformed  Church.  Various  reports  have  been  made 
and  published  upon  this  subject,  but  most  of  them  have 
been  mere  guess  work,  and  vary  greatly.  The  fact  is, 
there  is  no  reliable  data  at  hand.  There  was  no  census 
in  those  days. 

The  earliest  report  on  the  subject  appears  to  be  that 
of  Reformed  Deputies  in  1730,  based  upon   the  state- 


270  EARLY    HISTORY 

ments  of  Rev.  G.  M.  Weiss,  then  on  a  visit  to  Hol- 
land. They  state  that  there  are  15,000  Reformed  in 
Pennsylvania,  constituting  about  one-half  of  the  popu- 
lation. This  statement  of  proportion  to  population  is 
certainly  incorrect.  The  Reformed  were  not  as  numer- 
ous as  all  the  other  sects  together — Quakers,  Luther- 
ans, Mennonites,  etc.  The  Reformed  constituted  fully 
one-half  of  those  coming  from  the  Palatinate. 

A  letter  from  Pennsylvania  to  Holland,  dated  No- 
vember 23,  1731,  estimated  the  number  of  Reformed 
at  only  3000.  In  1733  Revs.  Rieger  and  Diemer  esti- 
mated the  number  of  all  Germans  in  the  state,  Lutheran 
and  Reformed,  at  15,000.  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  in 
1746  estimated  the  number  of  the  Reformed  at  12,000. 
In  1751  he  gives  the  number  of  Reformed  at  30,000. 
He  estimated  the  whole  population  in  Pennsylvania  at 
190,000,  of  which  about  90,000  were  Germans.  In  the 
fifteen  years  between  the  two  dates  the  increase  in  the 
number  of  immigrants  was  quite  large. — About  the 
only  official  reports  at  hand  are  the  immigrant  records 
kept  at  the  port  of  Philadelphia,  where  all  ships  con- 
veying immigrants  to  Pennsylvania  after  1710  landed, 
with  one  exception.  Upon  the  arrival  of  every  ship 
the  numbers  and  names  of  persons  on  board  were  placed, 
upon  record.  Upon  landing  these  newcomers  were  re- 
quired to  take  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  king  of  Eng- 
land. All  Germans  coming  to  Pennsylvania  had  to 
make  this  oath  prior  to  1750.  These  lists  of  names 
are  published  in  the  Pennsylvania  Archives.  The  lists 
contain  over  30,000  names.  The  fact  that  all  those 
taking  the  oath  were  men,  and  many  of  them  heads  of 


OF   THE   REFORMED   CHURCH.  271 

familiesjustified  the  belief  that  by  1750  the  number 
of  German  immigrants  in  Pennsylvania  was  about 
60,000. 

Not  all  independent  ministers  were  bad.  One  of 
the  exceptions  was  Rev.  Philip  Jacob  Michael,  who  is 
supposed  to  have  organized  the  Reformed  church  in 
Reading  in  1753.  In  1764  he  applied  for  admission  to 
the  Coetus,  and  stated  that  he  had  applied  twelve  years 
before,  but  w  as  refused  by  Rev.  Mr.  Schlatter  because 
of  unfounded  reasons.  He,  therefore,  labored  on  in  a 
number  of  congregations  in  Maxatawny  and  elsewhere, 
but  in  harmony  with  the  Coetus.  The  Coetus  found 
that  he  was  faithful  in  doctrine,  life  and  conduct,  and 
they  recommend  him  for  admission.  The  Holland 
Fathers  declined  to  accept  him,  and  therefore  he  la- 
bored on  without  ordination,  because  his  people  were 
well  pleased  with  him. 

One  of  the  remarkable  statements  is  that  the  second 
building  of  the  Reformed  church  in  Philadelphia  con- 
tained sittings  for  2000  persons.  This  is  incredible,  al- 
though repeatedly  so  reported  by  Dr.  Weyberg.  It 
was  dedicated  on  May  1, 1774,  and  had  cost  about  7000 
pounds.  The  church  was  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  city.  The  dedication  was  followed  by  a  series 
of  a  week's  services,  during  which  two  or  three  services 
were  held  each  day,  except  one. 

The  first  Reformed  ministers  here  who  received  the 
honorary  title  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  were  Revs.  John 
Joachim  Zubly,  Casper  Weyberg  and  William  Hendel. 
Tins  title  was  conferred  upon  Mr.  Zubly  by  the  Col- 
lege of  New  Jersey  in  1770,  and  upon  Revs.  Weyberg 


272  EARLY   HISTORY 

and  Hendel  by  the  Academy  of  PrincetoD,  N.  J.,  in 
the  fall  of  1787.  The  title  was  neither  sought  nor  ex- 
pected.    It  was  well  bestowed. 

The  condition  in  which  many  of  the  early  immi- 
grants reached  Philadelphia  was  shocking.  The  ships 
are  described  as  floating  hospitals  and  pest-houses,  filled 
with  small-pox,  and  all  the  other  diseases  of  crowding 
and  dirt,  which  increased  frightfully  during  the  long 
voyages  of  two  and  three  months.  One  ship  had  a 
voyage  of  six  months,  and  the  surviving  passengers  are 
said  to  have  lived  on  rats  and  vermin.  It  is  said  that 
some  ships  lost  one-third  of  their  passengers,  and  one 
particular  ship  is  said  to  have  lost  250  passengers  dur- 
ing the  voyage.  Saur  stated  that  in  one  year  2000 
Germans  died  while  on  the  way  across  the  Atlantic 
ocean.  This  report  does  not  appear  to  have  been  over- 
drawn. 

CORRECTIONS. 

Page  13,  Samuel  Guldin  was  born  in  1664,  not  1660. 

Ppges  28  and  41,  Skippack  church  was  erected  in  1729,  not  1727. 

Pages  36  and  234,  Boehm's  congregation  was  organized  in  1747,  not 
1740.     Th'j  year  1740  on  date  stone  is  not  correct 

Page  41,  Skippack  and  Swamp  churches  were  organized  in  1725,  not 
1720. 

Page  84,  Weiss  and  Reiff  went  to  Europe  in  1730,  not  1729. 

Page  90,  the  Dutch  church  in  New  York  was  organized  in  1628,  not 
1626. 

The  late  Elder  Henry  8.  Dotterer,  of  Philadelphia,  who  was  a  zealous 
student  of  Reformed  Church  history,  expressed  his  doubt  that  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Quldin  resided  in  Oley,  Berks  county,  as  stated  on  page  15.  Rev.  Mr. 
Guldin  owned  land  in  Oley,  but  Mr.  Dotterer  believed  that  it  was  occupied 
by  his  son  of  the  same  name.  This  is  inferred  partly  from  the  fact  that 
the  father  died  in  Philadelphia. 


OF   THE   EEFORMED   CHURCH.  273 


INDEX. 

Allemangel  Church,  208. 

Allen,  William,  30,  107. 

Allentown,  161,  174. 

Alsentz,  118. 

Ainwell,  N.  J.,  98. 

Anne,  Queen,  10. 

Annville,  130. 

Antes,  Fred.,  150. 

Antes,  Henry,  40,  69,  70,  72,  73,  80. 

Antonides,  Vincent,  55. 

Arend,  151. 

Baldwin,  John,  119. 

Baptism,  56. 

Barren  Hill  Church,  90. 

Bartholomaeus,  D.,  65,  252,  262. 

Bausman,  William,  98,  202,  204. 

Bechtel,  John,  69,  70,  72,  73,  80. 

Becker,  Henry,  211. 

Berger,  John,  172. 

Berger,  J.  F.,  269. 

Bern  Church,  164. 

Bethany,  Lancaster  County,  26,  174. 

Bickel,  Tobias,  76. 

BindnageFs  Church,  209. 

Blumer,  A.,  91,  95,  135-6,  151,  195. 

Boehm,  John  Philip,  16,  25,  26,  28,  29,  32.  33,  34,  35, 
36,  40,  41,  51,  53,  55,  56,  58,  65,  66,  67,  68, 
71,  72,  75,  81,  83,  So,  88,  104,  105,  115,  154, 
155,  162,  188,  203,  207,  227,  230,  234-5,  237- 
9,  240-2,  257-8. 


274  INDEX. 

Boehm's  Church,  36,  47,  52,  177,  234-236. 

Boel,  Henry,  55. 

Bouquet,  Col.  Henry,  126-8. 

Bower,  Capt.  Jacob,  140. 

Boyer,  Gabriel,  46. 

Boyertown  Reformed  Church,  47. 

Brandmiller,  70. 

Brickerville  Church,  245. 

Brotherhood,  182. 

Brown,  Enoch,  131. 

Bucher,  J.  C,  117,  128,  131,  147,  UO. 

Bushy  Run,  127,  129. 

Cacusi,  26,  76,  116. 

Campbellstown,  118. 

Carlisle,  129. 

Catechism,  64,  88,  202. 

Censura  Morum,  100-101. 

Chambersburg,  130. 

Chandler,  S.,  113. 

Charity  Schools,  111-114. 

Children's  Day,  179-181. 

Chitara,  Ludovicus,  266. 

Clymer,  William,  108. 

Cocalico,  24,  26,  62,  92,  116,  243. 

Coetus,  55,  56,  58,  62,  63,  64,(66,  88,  89,  90-95. 

Coetus  of  New  York,  259. 

Communion,  56. 

Conestoga,  12,  24,  44,  55,  116,  240. 

Consistory,  57. 

Constitution,  55-58. 

Corner  Church,  210. 

Craig,  William,  119. 

David's  Church,  126. 
Decker,  B.  J.,  251. 
DeHaas,  General,  147-8. 
Dellicker,  152,  195. 


INDEX.  275 

DeLong's  Church,  249. 

DeWees,  39,  40. 

Diemer,  Dr.  JohD,  24,  166,  270. 

Dorsius,  P.  H.,  67,  85,  115,  168,  188. 

Douglassville,  10. 

Dubendorf,  Samuel,  265. 

DuBois,  G.,  55. 

DuBois,  J.,  193. 

Duquesne,  Fort,  126. 

Dy lander,  29. 

Easton,  47,  92,  113,  149,  176,  263. 
Eberhard,  Michael  D.,  175. 
Eckert,  Valentine,  146. 
Egypt  Church,  210. 
Eiders,  56,  96-99. 
Erlentown,  244. 

Fahring,  99. 
Falk,  Gabriel,  82. 
Falkner,  Daniel,  40. 

Falkner  Swamp,  11,  26,  27,  28,  36,  39,  40,  44,  51,  56, 
116,154,207.  y      ^      ^      > 

Farmer,  Col.,  151. 
Finney,  160. 
Fort  Washington,  40. 
Franciscus,  L.  C,  257. 
Frankenfeld,  62,  89. 
Franklin  College,  194-197. 
Fritz,  249. 

Gerhard,  Frederick,  76. 

Germantown,  15,  24,  48,  70,  99,  102,  103,  116,  167, 

218,  255. 
Germantown,  Ya.,  16. 
Giesse,  269. 
Girard,  Stephen,  170. 
Gloninger,  Hon.  John,  147,  148-9. 
Gloninger,  Philip,  196. 


276  ii^DEX. 

Gnadenhiitten,  131. 

Gobrecht,  John,  175. 

Goetschi,  Maurice,  85. 

Goetschius,  Henry,  79. 

Goshenhoppen,  24,  55,  62. 

Gowns,  201. 

Great  Swamp,  116. 

Greenawald,  Philip,  195. 

Greenwich  Township,  Berks  County,  131. 

Griesemer,  Casper,  46. 

Grindstone  Hill  Church,  212. 

Gross,  John  D.,  137,  151,  197. 

Grosscup,  151. 

Grubben  Church,  209. 

Guldin,  9,  10,  11,  12,  13-16,  17,  71,  83,  198,  225. 

Haeger,  Henry,  16. 
Hain,  George,  208. 
Haines  Church,  26,  32,  33,  46,  76,  99,  126,   146,  208, 

219. 
Haller,  Col.  Henry,  139,  140. 
Hamilton,  Alexander,  169. 
Hannatown,  266. 
Heidelberg  Churches,  214. 
Heidelberg  Township,  Berks  County,  76. 
HeliFenstein,  Jacob,  255. 

Helffenstein,  J.  C.  A.,  135,  158-9,  195,  197,  262. 
Heller's  Church,  Lancaster  County,  241-3. 
Hempfield,  266. 
Hendel,  William,  91,  95,  98,  126,  152,  162,  170,  195, 

^  197,  202,  204,  232,  271. 
Herkimer,  General  N.,  138. 
Herman,  F.  L.,  136-7,  197. 
Hickorytown,  47. 
Hiester,  Gabriel,  143. 
Hiester,  Gov.  Joseph,  141-2,  195. 
Hill  Church,  Berks  County,  210. 


INDEX.  277 

Hill  Church,  Lebanon  County,  33,  44,  209. 

Hillegas,  147,  166. 

Himmel's  Church,  212. 

Hochreutiner,  65,  252. 

Hock,  John  Jacob,  244,  256. 

Hoffmeier,  J.  H.,  200. 

Host  Church,  31,  53,  207. 

HufPs  Church,  213. 

Hummelstown,  130. 

Hunter,  Daniel,  144. 

Indians,  32,  33,  47. 
Indian  War,  125-131. 
Ingold,  John  W.,  195. 

James,  Abel,  108. 

Kalm,  Peter,  29. 
Keith,  Sir  William,  23,  157. 
Kern,  John  M.,  136. 
Kershner,  Conrad,  32. 
Kichline,  Peter,  142,  149-150. 
Knowlton,  N.  J.,  266. 
Kremer,  F.  W.,  180. 

Lancaster,  24,  44,  47,  61,  67,  92,  106,  113,  116,    161, 

176,  200,  203,  205,  243-4,  256. 
Lange,  99. 

Language  Question,  154-6,  157-161. 
Lawrence,  Thomas,  107,  167. 
Layenberger,  Francis,  31. 
Lebanon,  33,  129,  130,  161,  176,  180,  203. 
Lehighton,  131. 
Lein,  John,  242. 
Leinbach,  A.  S.,  117. 
Lesher,  John,  46,  143. 
Leyd,  J.,  192.  , 
Leydich,  Philip,  65. 
Liberty  Bell,  135-6. 


278  INDEX. 

Lischy,  Jacob,  61,  62,  70,  72,  73,  76-78,  80,  81. 

Logan,  James,  168. 

Lord,  Thomas,  108. 

Lotz,  Col.  Nicholas,  140. 

Lupp,  Ludwig,  203. 

Lutherans,  29,  31,  33. 

Lykens  Yalley,  126,  265. 

Lynntown  Church,  208. 

Manhattan  Island,  90. 

Maxatawny,  24,  116. 

Mennonites,  228. 

Michael,  Ph.  J.,  45,  133,  271. 

Michaelius,  John,  90. 

Mickley,  John  J.,  136. 

Middletown,  130. 

Mifflin,  John,  108,  169. 

Miller,  Fred.  C,  248. 

Miller,  John,  60. 

Miller,  John  Peter,  12,  230,  246,  256. 

Molatton,  10,  82. 

Moonshine  Church,  210. 

Moravians,  36,  61,  69,  70,  72-75,  76-78,  80-82. 

Morning  Land  Church,  209. 

Mt.  Pleasant,  266. 

Muddy  Creek,  27,  37,  77,  199,  246. 

Mueller,  Sebastian,  99. 

Muhlenberg,  H.  M.,  249. 

Muskingum  River,  129. 

Nagel,  Col.  George,  138. 
Xagel,  Col.  Peter,  139. 
Neisser,  George,  74. 
Neshaminy,  39. 
levelling,  J.  W.  G.,  133-5. 
New  Born,  79. 
Newcastle,  20. 
New  Goshenhoppen,  116 


IXDEX.  279 

New  Hanover,  21,  113.        Ranch,  C.  H.,  70. 

New  Luneburg,  Xova  Sco-  Reading,    24,    27,    33,    45, 

tia,  63.  46,   47,     53,    113,    117^ 

Nitschman,  Bishop,  77.  130,  176,  217,  262. 

North    Heidelberg,  Berks  Red  Churches,  212. 

County,  76,  78.  Redemptioners,  23,  225. 

Oley,  16,  24,   26,  46,   55,  geed  Church,  31. 

116,  143.  '       '       '       '  Reiff,  Jacob,  28,  41,  42,  84, 
Otterbein,  89,  189,  200.       ^  \9\^  ^^^^  l^^o-^. 
T>  w.         OQ   Qi    oo  ^^^^^^^  Society,  188-191. 

Palatines,  23  31,  32.  Reynell,  John,  167. 

Parsons^  Ayilham   113.  Rieger,  John  B,  24,  64,  65, 

p'"^w>  ^^  ^^^    1^^'    244,    261 

Pauli,  William,  160.  270      '  '         '         ' 

Pemberton   Israel,  167         R^^gris,  Hugh,  108. 
Penn  Wilham,  9,  10,  2.3,  Roedel,  Jacob,  176. 

^^■,       -a       J     ^r.  Roland,  John,  114, 262. 

Pennsylvania  Synods,  70.  jj        Daniel,  141. 

Pequea,  202.  Eoth  ''69 

Pernisius,  Peter  P.,  264.  Rothenbiihler,  52, 162,  2-54. 

Perquisites,  123-4.  Roxboro   1-5 

Peters,  Richard,  109,  11.3.  jj    ..^-s  Church,  245. 

Pew  Rent,  260  Rubel,  John  C.   90,  109. 
Philadelphia,   10,   23,  24,  ' 

f'  f'  28.  ?9>  30,  42,  Salaries,  115-119. 

-q'   qA     i'aq    'in-'/?n'  ^alem  (Heller's),  241-3. 
<A  90'    10.3,    lOo-llO,  Sassaman.  Henrv.  214. 


Pine  >  alley,  Aou  Schildknappen,  167 

Pi  han,  John  W.,  26.3  Schlatter,    27,  29,  30,  32, 

Pitt,  Fort,  126   129,  266.  33    34'    37    51    53    59 

ISt'?'i30  60;  61:  64,'  67,'  68,'  7.5; 

porter,  ±.  O.,  IrfO.  gg_9Q      gg      jqo     103, 

Pottstown,  161.  105-110,  111-114,    ILS^ 

aueen's  College,  N.  J.,  192.  126,    132,   154,    166-8, 

uittapahilla  Church,  210.  178,  189,  199,  230,  235, 


280 


INDEX. 


246,  247-8,   253,   258, 

261,  270,  271. 
Schmalzgass  Church,  208. 
Schoharie,  N.  Y,  23. 
Schumacher,  Daniel,  250. 
Shoemaker,  B.,  107. 
Skippack,  11,  24,  25,  27, 

28,36,39,41,43,44,56, 

104,105,  113,116,164. 
Slavery,  225-229. 
Smith,  Dr.  Wm.,  113, 137. 
Smith,  John,  108. 
Societies,  182-187. 
Spyker,  145. 

S.  Schools,  172-178,  183. 
Stapel,  C.  M.,  98. 
Steiner,    52,    105-9,    162, 

190,  230,  254. 
St.  Elias'  Church,  213. 
Steuben,  Baron,  137-8. 
St.  John's  (Forest),  212. 
St.  John's  (Hain's),  32. 
St.  Luke's,  Trappe,  207. 
Stov,  W.  J.,  45,  89,  98. 
St.  Paul's,  Berks  Co.,  210. 
St.  Paul's,  Robesonia,  211. 
St.  Peter's,  Berks  Co.,  211. 
Swatara  Church,  209. 
Swedes,  29. 
Tempelmann,  12,  33,  35, 

36-38,  6Q,  83, 193, 199, 

209,  240-6,  256,  258. 
Tempelmann  Hill,  37. 
Trinity,  Tulpehocken,  31. 
Tulpehocken,   23,   24,  31, 

32,  55,  68,82,116,126, 

131,  145. 
Twifoot  205. 


Tan  yiecq,  39. 
Vincent,  Chester  Co.,  47. 
Virginia,  59. 
Vock,  L.  F.,  117,  201. 
Voting,  102-3. 

Waldschmid,  45,  89,  98,  99, 

202. 
Washington,  137,  141,  151- 

153,  268. 
Weidler,  Michael,  242. 
Weikel,  John  H.,  133. 
Weiser,  Conrad,  31. 
Weiss,  George  M.,  30,  42, 

67,  68,   79,   83,  84,  88, 

104,  105,  120,  165,  189, 

226,  230,  258,  270. 
Wentz's  Church,  42,  105. 
Westmoreland,  265. 
Weyberg,  95,  132,151,162, 

195,  201,  264,  271. 
Whitemarsh,  26,  27,  36,  39, 

40,  44,  56,  117. 
White  Oaks,  178. 
Whitpen,  53. 
Widows'  Fund,  189-190. 
Winkhaus,  162,  169. 
Wissler,  John  J.,  89, 188. 
Wittner,  98,  263. 
Women's  Society,  184-187. 

Yellow  Fever,  169-171. 
York,  60-62,  113,  174. 
Zeltenreich,  Andreas,  244. 
Zeltenreich  Church,  244. 
Ziegel  Church,  211. 
Zinzendorf,  16,  36,  69,   74, 

77,  80,  81. 
Zubly,  136. 


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